Bekim Balaj
Balaj with FC Terek in 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Bekim Abdyl Balaj | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 January 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Shkodër, Albania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Terek Grozny | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2009 | Vllaznia Shkodër | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 38 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Gençlerbirliği | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Tirana | 37 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Sparta Prague | 12 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | → Jagiellonia Białystok (loan) | 31 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Slavia Prague | 13 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Rijeka | 46 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Terek Grozny | 24 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Albania U19 | 6 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Albania U21 | 13 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012– | Albania | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 April 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 March 2017 |
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Bekim Abdyl Balaj (born 11 January 1991 in Reç, Shkodër) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for FC Terek Grozny in the Russian Premier League and the Albania national team.
Balaj started his football career with his hometown club Vllaznia Shkodër and made his professional debut at the age of 17 before going on to score 17 goals in 38 games for the club before moving to Turkey to join Gençlerbirliği. After little success in Turkey he returned to Albania and played for KF Tirana where he scored 15 league goals in 37 games before joining Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic in January 2013. During his time at Sparta Prague he was loaned out to Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok for the entire 2013–14 campaign where he scored 9 goals in 36 games in all competition before return to his parent club for the first half of the following season. He joined current club HNK Rijeka in January 2015 for a fee of €600,000 and he scored on his debut with the club in a 4–1 win over NK Lokomotiva.
Balaj joined his hometown club Vllaznia Shkodër as an 11-year-old in 2002, and his father had told the youth team coach Astrit Premçi to initially test the player as a goalkeeper as he was tall for his age. However, after only a few training sessions with Balaj, the coach Premçi realised the player was an able outfield player as he was good with his feet, so he then played him as a centre forward.
He was invited to train with the first team by the coach Mirel Josa during the latter stages of the 2007–08 season, and he made his first team debut on 17 May 2008 at the age of 17 years, 4 months and 6 days in an away game against Besëlidhja Lezhë, coming on as a 70th-minute substitute for Albert Kaçi in the 4–2 loss. He became a first team regular the following season, and he scored his first senior goal on his first appearances of the campaign in an Albanian Cup tie against Sopoti Librazhd, before going on to make 12 appearances in all competition, 7 of which were in the league and 10 of which were substitute appearances. He was part of the Vllaznia team that finished runners-up in the Albanian Superliga, finishing 4 points behind the eventual winners KF Tirana.
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