Jurgen Vatnikaj

Jurgen Vatnikaj (born 8 August 1995 in Tiranë) is an Albanian professional footballer who currently plays for Partizani Tirana in the Albanian Superliga.

Jurgen Vatnikaj
Nationality Albania
Height 190 cm
Weight 80 kg
Playing position Second striker
Current team Partizani Tirana
Youth career
2005-2011 Partizani Tirana
2011-2013 KF Tirana
2013-2014 Partizani Tirana
Senior career*
2014-2015 Partizani Tirana 11 (1)
2015-2016 → Tërbuni Pukë 11 (2)
2016- Partizani Tirana 0 (0)
National team
2009-2011 Albania U-15 3 (1)
2011-2012 Albania U-17 7 (0)
2012-2014 Albania u-19 3(0)
2014- Albania U-21 5 (1)

Early career

Vatnikaj joined his hometown club Partizani Tirana at the age of 10 in 2005 where he progressed through the club's youth teams before joining local rivals KF Tirana in 2011, where he initially played for the club's under-17 side. After one season with the under-17s, he was promoted to the under-19s at KF Tirana but he left the club in January 2013 and returned to Partizani Tirana, where he also played for the club's under-19s side. He made his professional debut on the last day of the 2013–14 Albanian Superliga against KF Lushnja on 10 May 2014, where he came on as a 64th-minute substitute and scored the last goal of the game on the 89th minute in the 4–2 away win for Partizani Tirana.[1]

With the arrivals of Sebino Plaku, Xhevahir Sukaj and Emanuele Morini, Vatnikaj found his chances limited at Partizani so he joined newly promoted Albanian Superliga side KF Tërbuni Pukë on loan ahead of the 2015–16 season.[2]

International career

Youth teams

Vatnikaj was a member of the Albania U15s team under Sulejman Demollari in 2009, where he was part of the squad that played qualifying games in Switzerland for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics that were held in Singapore. In total he earned 2 caps and scored one goal, which came against Liechtenstein on 17 October 2009.[3][4]

He was then called up to the Albania U17s Džemal Mustedanagić in 2011 ahead of the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers held in Tallinn, Estonia in October 2011. He made his debut for the national under-17s side in the first qualifying game against Slovakia, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for Frans Ymeralilaj, who had scored both goals in Albania's 2–1 win.[5] He was an unused substitute in the side's next game against Germany which ended in a 1–0 loss for Albania,[6] but he did come on in the second half of the side's final qualifier against Estonia which ended in a 1–1 draw and secured Albania a place in the elite round of the European Championship for the first time in 9 seasons.[7][8] In preparation for the elite round, Vatnikaj was called up to the squad once again in February 2012, where he was a second-half substitute in both of the first two friendly games that were both played against Slovenia, with the scores being a 1–0 loss and a 1–1 draw, respectively.[9][10] He started the next friendly against Bulgaria and was substituted off in the second half in a game that Albania won 2–0.[11] In the elite round Albania failed to qualify for the tournament as they lost to both the Netherlands and Serbia, 4–0 and 3–0 respectively. He was called up to the Albania U21s Skender Gega in 2014.His debut was on 8 October 2014 against Romania U21.His international debut with Albania U21 on UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification was on 28 March 2014 against Liechtenstein U21 which ended in a 2-0 win.

Career statistics

As of 16 August 2015[12]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Partizani Tirana 2013–14 Albanian Superliga 11———11
2014–15 1005000—150
Total 1115000—161
KF Tërbuni Pukë 2015–16 Albanian Superliga 0000——00
Total 1115000—161
Career total 1115000—161

References

  1. ↑ "KF Lushnja 2–4 Partizani Tirana". Soccerway. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  2. ↑ Alfred Lleshi (16 August 2015). "Te Partizani s'ka vend, Vatnikaj huazohet te Tërbuni". Telesport (in Albanian). Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "U-15, Mali i Zi – Shqipëria 1-2Golin e vetëm për Shqipërinë e shënoi Franc Ymeralilaj në minutën e 68-të". Albania Sport (in Albanian). 20 October 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "U-15, Lihtenshtejn- Shqipëri 0-2, Vatnikaj shënoi në minutën e 49-të dhe Hoxha në të 53'". Albania Sport (in Albanian). 18 October 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Slovakia 1–2 Albania". Soccerway. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Albania 0–1 Germany". Soccerway. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Estonia 1–1 Albania". Soccerway. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Mihail Malkin (18 October 2011). "Albania end wait behind Germany". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Vladimir Mema (22 February 2012). "Shqipëria U-17 humbet miqësoren me Slloveninë në Elbasan". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Vladimir Mema (24 February 2012). "Testi i dytë, Kombëtarja U-17 barazon me Slloveninë". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Kuqezinjtë U-17 mposhtin Bullgarinë mes tensionit". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 27 February 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Jurgen Vatnikaj Soccerway profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 August 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.