Peter Deng (born 12 January 1993), is a Kenyan-born South Sudanese professional footballer who plays as a left back for Australian club Heidelberg United FC in the National Premier Leagues Victoria and the South Sudan national football team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Nhial Deng | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-01-12) 12 January 1993 (age 29) | ||
| Place of birth | Nairobi, Kenya | ||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left back / Centre-back[1] | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Whittlesea Ranges | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000–2009 | Adelaide Olympic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2011 | Adelaide Olympic | 23 | (0) |
| 2012 | Salisbury United | 4 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Adelaide Olympic | 44 | (9) |
| 2014 | Green Gully | 7 | (0) |
| 2015 | White City | 3 | (0) |
| 2016 | Pascoe Vale | 5 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Moreland Zebras | 25 | (0) |
| 2019 | Heidelberg United | 13 | (0) |
| 2020 | Eastern Lions | 5 | (0) |
| 2021– | Whittlesea Ranges | 13 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2016– | South Sudan | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 September 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 September 2019 | |||
Deng was born on 12 January 1993[2] into a family of South Sudanese refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. He, along with his family, were fleeing from the conflict in South Sudan and eventually resettled in Australia when he was 10 years old.[3]
His younger brother, Thomas Deng, played as a central defender for Melbourne Victory in the A-League and for the Socceroos. Their mother has always been supportive of the brothers' football careers and drove them around Adelaide dropping them off for training and matches.[4]
As of 2019[update], Deng taught Physical Education at the Parkville Youth Justice Centre.[5]
After playing unorganised football in Kenya before moving to Australia, Deng played club football in Adelaide, first at Adelaide Blue Eagles[4][6] and later at Adelaide Olympic.[2]
After the family moved to Victoria, he played half a season with Green Gully in the National Premier Leagues Victoria (NPLV) with his brother Thomas.[citation needed] He played for another NPLV club, Heidelberg United FC, in 2019, before moving to the Eastern Lions in 2020.[2]
As of 2022[update] he plays for Whittlesea Ranges FC, having moved there in 2021.[2]
Deng was called up by South Sudan for their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Benin on 27 March 2016, which he started.[3][7]