Andreas Govas

Andreas Govas (born 21 July 1989) is a Greek Australian footballer, who currently plays for National Premier League club Heidelberg United.

Club career

European Adventure
In 2007 Govas signed his first professional contract with Premier League outfit Portsmouth F.C.. Govas was part of Portsmouth's U-18 Youth Academy and Reserves teams under academy director Paul Hart. In 2008, he and Australian Apostolos Giannou played together for Apollon Kalamarias F.C. in the Greek Football League, a year which saw Govas gain 7 appearances before transferring to FS Kozani. In January 2010 Govas signed for Greek Superleague Club AO Kavala where he joined fellow Australians; Zeljko Kalac, Apostolos Giannou, Craig Moore and Robert Stambolziev. In January 2012, he signed a six-month contract with French Ligue 2 side Troyes AC who were promoted in the same season to Ligue 1. In September 2012, he signed a two-year contract with Kalloni in the Greek Football League. He played an important role throughout the season helping Kalloni FC gain automatic promotion to the Greek Superleague for the first time in the club's history.

Return to Australia
In February 2014, Govas signed for National Premier League club Oakleigh Cannons FC under coach Miron Bleiberg. The Cannons finished league runners up in Govas' only season with the club. In November 2014, Govas signed for his childhood football club Heidelberg United in the National Premier League. Govas scored an incredible long-range goal in April 2015 as Heidelberg beat Green Gully by a scoreline of 8–2. On 15 June 2016 Govas left the Bergers mid-season for league counterparts FC Bulleen Lions. In 2017 Govas signed for National Premier League club Port Melbourne SC and was one of the best players throughout the 2017 season scoring numerous long bombs along the way. In 2018 Govas signed for National Premier League club Heidelberg United FC.

International career
He was a part of the Australia U-20 team that participated in and won the 2008 ASEAN Youth Championship.

He was also a part of the Australia U-20 team that competed at the AFC U-19 Championship 2008.

In 2008, he had also represented Greece's U-19 squad with Apostolos Giannou and Dean Bouzanis. It had been reported that Govas, Giannou and Bouzanis chose to represent Greece as they had been snubbed by Australian national selectors.

"I represented the Victorian squad at Under 15 and Under 16 levels and I was lucky enough to have been selected for the VIS to be part of a development program aimed at producing players for the national team. As I came towards the end of my time at VIS I was hoping to get an international call-up or an invitation to the AIS. I was invited up to the AIS for a day trial, but unfortunately I was not in the (selected) 18 and was sent home. I thought I was really good while on trial there and was surprised not to have been picked. I was also then told that I would not be in the mix for AIS selection, so I looked overseas." – Govas speaking with Melbourne's Greek newspaper Neos Kosmos

Honours
NPL Victoria Team of the Week Round 2 2017

With  Australia
 AFF U19 Youth Championship 2008

References

Category:1989 births
Category:Greek footballers
Category:Australian people of Greek descent
Category:Greek expatriate footballers
Category:Kavala F.C. players
Category:Soccer players from Melbourne
Category:Superleague Greece players
Category:Victorian Institute of Sport alumni
Category:Living people
Category:Association football midfielders
Category:Port Melbourne SC players
Category:Oakleigh Cannons FC players
Category:Heidelberg United FC players
Category:AEL Kalloni F.C. players
Category:Kozani F.C. players