Alban Bunjaku

Alban Bunjaku
Personal information
Date of birth (1994-05-20) 20 May 1994
Place of birth Romford, England
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Ascot United
Eastbrook
2002–2012 Arsenal
2014–2016 Derby County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2014 Sevilla B 10 (1)
2012–2013 → Slavia Prague B (loan) 2 (0)
2014–2016 Derby County 0 (0)
2016 Dordrecht 9 (2)
National team‡
2014– Kosovo 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 June 2016
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21 May 2014

Alban Bunjaku (born 20 May 1994), is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Kosovo national football team.

Career

Early career

Born in London, Bunjaku joined the Arsenal F.C. Academy in 2002,[1] at the age of eight, after spending time with both Ascot United and Eastbrook.[2]

Sevilla

After scoring fifteen goals in twenty-three starts for the under-18 side, Bunjaku left the club to sign with Spanish La Liga side Sevilla.[3] He spent the 2012–13 season with the club's reserve side, Sevilla Atlético, in the Segunda División B.[4] He made his debut on 14 October 2012 in the 8th game week against Cartagena, coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute in place of Álex Rubio. The match finished in a 2–2 draw.[5] He scored first goal on 4 November 2012 in the 11th game week against Melilla and gave Sevilla Atlético the 0–1 away victory when he scored in the 53rd minute, but was replaced only 12 minutes later by Joaquín García.[6]

Derby County

Then, on 10 June 2014, it was announced that Bunjaku had returned to England to sign a two-year contract for Championship side Derby County.[4][7] Head coach Steve McClaren said that Bunjaku had potential to do well at Derby, given his experience gained from a decade with Arsenal and also from his short time at Sevilla Atlético.[8]

After spending time mainly with the under-21 side, Bunjaku left the club months before the end of his contract by mutual consent.[9]

Dordrecht

On 18 January 2016, shortly after leaving Derby County, Bunjaku signed with Dordrecht of the Eerste Divisie.[10] He made his debut for the club on the same day in a league match against Emmen. He came on as a 63rd-minute substitute for Ibrahim Touré as Dordrecht lost the match 2–0.[11]

International

In January 2012, the media reported that the Albanian Football Association were trying to convince the player to be part of their national team, since the English Football Association hadn't made him any invitation to play for the English national side.[12] He was called up to represent Albania under-19, after the English youth team overlooked him.[13]

In May 2014, Bunjaku was called up to the Kosovo national football team, for the friendly matches against Turkey and Senegal.[14] On 21 May 2014, Bunjaku made his international debut for Kosovo against Turkey, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute in place of Lum Rexhepi in a 1–6 loss at the Olympic Stadium Adem Jashari, Mitrovica, Kosovo.[9][15]

Career statistics

As of 13 September 2016[16][17]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sevilla Atlético 2012–13 Segunda División B 10100--101
Total 1010000101
Slavia Prague B 2013–14 Czech Fourth Division --
Total
Derby County 2014–15 Football League Championship 0000--00
Total 00000000
Dordrecht 2015–16 Eerste Divisie 92000092
Total 92000092
Career total 1930000193

International

As of 21 May 2014[17][18]
Kosovo national team
YearAppsGoals
201410
Total10

References

  1. ↑ "Sevilla sign English-born Arsenal starlet". Inside Spanish Football. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Young Guns: Alban Bunjaku". Arsenal Football Club. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Arsenal teenager Bunjaku joins Sevilla after decade with boyhood club". Daily Mail. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Derby sign former Arsenal midfielder Alban Bunjaku on a free transfer". SKY Sports. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Sevilla II vs. Cartagena". Soccerway.com. 14 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Melilla vs. Sevilla II". Soccerway.com. 4 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Derby sign former Arsenal midfielder Alban Bunjaku on a free transfer". Sky Sports.com.
  8. ↑ Dailymail news about transfer Archived 2016-08-30 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. 1 2 "Midfielder Alban Bunjaku leaves Rams". BBC Sport. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Alban Bunjaku naar FC Dordrecht". FC Dordrecht. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "FC Dordrecht 0-2 FC Emmen". Soccerway.
  12. ↑ Talenti mes Shqiperise dhe Anglise | | Futboll | Archived 2014-12-08 at Archive.is SuperSport.al
  13. ↑ The story of Arsenal's former protege, 18-year-old Romford-born Alban Bunjaku
  14. ↑ Dy miqësoret, Bunjaku shpall listën e Kosovës Archived 2014-12-13 at the Wayback Machine. Panorama Sport
  15. ↑ Kosovo national team v Turkey*, 21 May 2014 EU-Football.info
  16. ↑ Alban Bunjaku at Soccerway
  17. 1 2 "Alban Bunjaku". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
  18. ↑ Alban Bunjaku - national football team player EU-Football.info
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