Stephen Laybutt

Stephen Laybutt
	Laybutt training with the Newcastle Jets
Personal information
Full name	Stephen John Laybutt
Date of birth	3 September 1977
Place of birth	Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia
Date of death	13 January 2024 (aged 46)
Place of death	Cabarita Beach, New South Wales, Australia
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1994–1995	AIS
Senior career*
Years	Team
1995–1997	Wollongong Wolves
1997–1999	Brisbane Strikers
1999	Bellmare Hiratsuka
1999–2000	Parramatta Power
2000–2002	Feyenoord
2000–2001	→ RBC Roosendaal (loan)
2001	→ Lyn Oslo (loan)
2002	Sydney Olympic
2002–2003	Brisbane Strikers
2003–2004	Excelsior Mouscron
2004–2007	Gent
2007–2008	Newcastle Jets
2009–2010	Dandaloo FC
International career
1998–2000	Australia U23
2000–2004	Australia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stephen John Laybutt (3 September 1977 – 13 January 2024) was an Australian professional soccer player who played as a defender.^[1] Laybutt came out as gay in 2021^[2] and died by suicide in January 2024.^[3]

Early life and career

Laybutt was born in Lithgow and played youth football at the Australian Institute of Sport before starting his senior career with Wollongong City in 1995.^[4] As well as playing for a number of clubs in the National Soccer League and Newcastle Jets in the A-League, Laybutt played professionally in Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. He retired from professional football in 2008.^[4]

He won fifteen caps with the Australian national team. He was also a member of the Australian under-23 team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.^[4]

Laybutt was released by Dutch side Feyenoord in January 2002 to return to Australia, following a loan spell at Lyn Oslo, due to a lack of first team opportunities.^[5]

In January 2008, Laybutt suffered an achilles tendon rupture, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2008–09 A-League.^[6]

Personal life and death

Following his playing career, Laybutt came out as gay. As of 2021, Laybutt worked in the rehab unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. There, he met patient Ian Pavey, to whom he donated a kidney.^[2]

Laybutt was reported missing on 13 January 2024 when he could not be contacted after having last been seen the previous night.^[7] Laybutt was recorded on security camera footage at 11:30 AM on the 13th.^[8] Police discovered Laybutt's body on 14 January 2024 in bushland near Cabarita Beach, New South Wales at age 46,^[7] determined to be self-inflicted.^[3]