Phillip Cancar

Phillip Cancar (born 11 May 2001) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a central defender for Newcastle Jets.

Cancar was born and raised in the Illawarra region of Wollongong, Australia. His parents were originally from Bosnia but had moved to Croatia before ultimately seeking refuge in Australia. He attended Edmund Rice College with Tate Russell.

Youth career

Cancar started his youth career in the National Premier Leagues, the second tier of Australian football, where he would play for the local club, Wollongong Wolves, before moving to the Football NSW Institute in 2014.

He would join Sydney FC through the academy system, playing alongside Jake Hollman, Callum Talbot and Marco Tilio. During his time at the Blues, he won the U18 Championship Final against Sydney United, on 14 September 2017, where his side won after extra time.

Croatia

In 2018, Cancar moved to Croatia and began his European journey at Lokomotiva, where he spent a year in the youth ranks and later joining for Hrvatski Dragovoljac, a team that competes in the Second League. Due to issues with paperwork and league rules, Cancar was initially unable to play for his team. However, after a recent change in management, these issues were resolved, and Cancar was finally given the opportunity to showcase his skills in the first team.

He made his senior club debut on 18 October 2019 against Hajduk II, coming off the bench in the 88th minute of a 1–0 home win. During a COVID-19 lockdown, Cancar's home was struck by an earthquake that nearly risked his flight back to Australia to visit his family who was in Unanderra. On 22 July 2020, Cancar scored in a friendly match for his side against NK Jarun, scoring a stoppage time goal to win the match 3–2 at full time. He would make a further 5 league appearance for his club before leaving due to his contract expiring.

Western Sydney Wanderers

On 16 November 2020, it was announced that Cancar signed for A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers on a one-year contract. He became the fourth signing under Carl Robinson. Cancar first played in the Wanderer's NPL squad that played in NSW League One. After his consistent and impressive performances on the field, Cancar scored his first official senior goal against Mounties Wanderers. Impressed by Cancar's performances, Robinson invited him to train with the first-team squad and soon offered Cancar a contract extension on 8 November 2021, which ensured his stay until the end of the 2021–22 season. After an interview Kick360, Cancar spoke highly of new signing Jack Rodwell, who provided him with valuable guidance and support both on and off the field. When former coach Robinson was sacked, Cancar explained how he found a new mentor in Marko Rudan, who helped him further develop his skills as a player from Rudan's experience as a player.

Cancar was first named in the first-team match squad against Melbourne City but did not feature. Exactly a year later, he would make his professional club debut against the same team, on 11 February 2022, coming on in the 88th minute in a 3–1 home defeat. A week later, his first A-League start for the club came against Melbourne Victory where his side won 2–0. On 5 March 2023, Cancar played in his first Sydney Derby where his side won 2–0. After the match, Cancar would receive praises for his defensive performance that kept a clean sheet and earning his side 3-points against their rivals. At the end of the season, despite the club's multiple attempts to keep him, Wanderers announced that Cancar was set to leave due to an opportunity to return to Europe.

Livingston

On 13 May 2022, Scottish club Livingston announced the signing of Cancar, agreeing a pre-contract agreement that would expire in 2024. After just two months with the club, Cancar put in an impressive performance earning him the man of the match award in a League Cup match against Kelty Hearts. Despite being subbed on in the 6th minute after Cristian Montaño picked up an injury, he made an immediate impact, keeping a clean sheet and scoring his first goal for the club. On 30 July 2022, Cancar made his Premiership debut against Rangers, but after a poor start, was taken off early in the 34th minute. Struggling to find playing time, on 8 February 2023, it was confirmed that Cancar had departed the club after only making 3 league appearances, having been an unused substitute in 15 games and brought on only twice.

Newcastle Jets

Cancar returned to Australia to join with Newcastle Jets, joining with former teammate Thomas Aquilina who played with the Western Sydney Wanderers. He made his debut on 18 February as a 84th-minute substitute in a 2–1 win at Macarthur FC. In his next appearance, on 2 April, he came on as a 86th-minute substitute against Melbourne City.