Krystian Bielik

Krystian Bielik
Bielik playing for Arsenal U19s in the UEFA Youth League in 2015
Personal information
Full name Krystian Bielik[1]
Date of birth (1998-01-04) 4 January 1998[2]
Place of birth Konin,[3] Poland
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Playing position Centre back, Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Charlton Athletic
(on loan from Arsenal)
Number 4
Youth career
Górnik Konin
2012–2014 Lech Poznań
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Legia Warsaw 5 (0)
2015– Arsenal 0 (0)
2017 → Birmingham City (loan) 10 (0)
2018 → Walsall (loan) 0 (0)
2018– → Charlton Athletic (loan) 4 (1)
National team‡
2013–2014 Poland U16 2 (0)
2014–2015 Poland U17 8 (3)
2015 Poland U18 3 (0)
2017– Poland U19 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:45, 1 September 2015 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 June 2017

Krystian Bielik (pronounced [ˈkrɘ̟stʲan ˈbʲɛlik], born 4 January 1998) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Charlton Athletic of League One, on loan from Premier League club Arsenal. He first played senior football with Legia Warsaw in 2014, and spent the second half of the 2016–17 season on loan at EFL Championship club Birmingham City. Internationally, he has represented Poland up to under-19 level.

Club career

Legia Warszawa

Bielik started playing football for his hometown club, Górnik Konin before being spotted by Lech Poznań scouts in 2012, and later joining their developmental academy. He won the Polish U-17 Championships with the club in early 2014.[4] However, in July 2014, Bielik joined Lech's archrivals, Legia Warszawa for 50,000 zł (£9,000),[5][6][7] and on 24 August, he made his Ekstraklasa debut against Korona Kielce.[8]

Arsenal

Bielik with Arsenal in 2015

In early 2015, Arsenal agreed a reported £2.4 million deal for Bielik with Legia Warsaw.[9] On 21 January, Arsenal completed the Bielik deal with the Polish midfielder signing for an undisclosed fee, subject to regulatory processes.[10]

Bielik made his senior Arsenal debut in the League Cup fourth round on 27 October 2015, replacing fellow debutant Glen Kamara after 60 minutes of a 3–0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday.[11] He was a member of the Arsenal under-21 team that reached the 2015–16 U21 Premier League Division 2 play-off final, held at the Emirates Stadium in May 2016, in which they beat Aston Villa U21 3–1.[12]

Birmingham City (loan)

On 31 January 2017, Bielik joined EFL Championship club Birmingham City on loan until the end of the 2016–17 season.[13] He made his debut in the starting eleven for the visit to Preston North End on 14 February, and played the whole match as Birmingham lost 2–1.[14] His next appearance was ten days later, as a substitute after centre-back Paul Robinson was sent off with Birmingham 2–0 up away to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Bielik partnered Ryan Shotton in central defence as Birmingham conceded once but, thanks in part to his "two last-ditch challenges in the closing stages", managed to hold on for the win.[15] Playing on the right of a back three alongside Shotton and Robinson in mid-March against Newcastle United, Bielik contributed to a clean sheet,[16] a performance that confirmed his place in the starting eleven for the next few weeks and encouraged manager Gianfranco Zola to consider loaning him again in 2017–18.[17]

Zola's dismissal coincided with the return to fitness of Michael Morrison and Birmingham's need for points, and incoming manager Harry Redknapp reverted to a back four and prioritised playing to the team's strengths for the last three matches of the season.[18] He used Bielik only in the final match, away to Bristol City, as a substitute playing in front of the defence to help the team hold on to their one-goal lead and thus avoid relegation to League One.[19][20]

Walsall (loan)

A shoulder injury that required surgery prevented Bielik going out on loan in the summer 2017 transfer window,[21] but on 31 January 2018, he signed for Walsall of League One on loan until the end of the season.[22]

Charlton Athletic (loan)

On 16 August 2018, Bielik joined Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan.[23][24] He scored his first goal for the club and his first professional goal in a 2-1 win against Southend United on 1 September 2018.[25]

International career

Bielik was named in Poland's squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship,[26] but did not play.[27]

Career statistics

As of 1 September 2018
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Legia Warsaw 2014–15[28] Ekstraklasa5000—1[lower-alpha 1]060
Arsenal 2014–15[29] Premier League0000——00
2015–16[30] Premier League0000100010
2016–17[19] Premier League0000100010
2017–18[31] Premier League0000000000
Total 0000200020
Birmingham City (loan) 2016–17[19] EFL Championship100———100
Walsall (loan) 2017–18[31] EFL League One00———00
Charlton Athletic (loan) 2018–19[32] EFL League One4100000041
Career total 191002010221
  1. ↑ Appearance in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Arsenal U21

References

  1. ↑ "Retained and released lists submitted by Premier League clubs". Premier League. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Krystian Bielik". UEFA. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Krystian Bielik". 90minut.pl. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "MP juniorów młodszych - 3. kolejka" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Krystian Bielik zawodnikiem Legii" (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Klub z V ligi zarobi na wychowanku. Bo Bielik startował z Konina" (in Polish). sport.pl. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Arsene Wenger confirms deal in place for Polish teenager Krystian Bielik". Eurosport. Reuters. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Krystian Bielik zadebiutował w ekstraklasie. "W nocy budziłem się po 2-3 razy"" (in Polish). Sportowefakty.pl. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Arsenal sign teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw". BBC Sport. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Arsenal complete Krystian Bielik deal". Arsenal F.C. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  12. 1 2 Evans, Gregg (10 May 2016). "Recap: Arsenal U21 3 Aston Villa U21 1". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Birmingham sign Arsenal's Krystian Bielik and Watford's Jerome Sinclair on loan". BBC Sport. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Dick, Brian (14 February 2017). "Birmingham City player ratings: How Blues performed against Preston". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Garry, Tom (24 February 2017). "Wolverhampton Wanderers 12 Birmingham City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  16. ↑ Ireland, Shane (19 March 2017). "Krystian Bielik scouting report: How the Arsenal loanee's Birmingham City career is going so far". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  17. ↑ Dick, Brian (6 April 2017). "Birmingham City manager Gianfranco Zola discusses the future of Arsenal defender Krystian Bielik". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  18. ↑ Dick, Brian (8 May 2017). "Birmingham City comment: How Harry Redknapp saved Blues". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  19. 1 2 3 "Games played by Krystian Bielik in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  20. ↑ Dick, Brian (7 May 2017). "Bristol City vs Birmingham City live: Adams gives Blues early lead; Blackburn lead at Brentford". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  21. ↑ "Photo: Arsenal youngster Krystian Bielik gives update on injury after undergoing surgery". Sports Illustrated. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  22. ↑ Masi, Joseph (31 January 2018). "Deal: Walsall sign Krystian Bielik on loan from Arsenal". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "DONE DEAL: Charlton sign Krystian Bielik on loan from Arsenal". Charlton Athletic F.C. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  24. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45209306
  25. ↑ "Southend 1-2 Charlton". BBC Sport. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  26. ↑ Kmita, Maciej (5 June 2017). "Mistrzostwa Europy U-21 2017. Reprezentacja Polski rozpoczęła operację "Złoto"" [2017 European U21 Championships: Poland's team has launched operation "Gold"]. Sportowe Fakty (in Polish). Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  27. ↑ "History: Under-21: 2015–17". UEFA. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  28. ↑ "K. Bielik". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Krystian Bielik in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Krystian Bielik in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  31. 1 2 "Games played by Krystian Bielik in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Krystian Bielik in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
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