Besian Idrizaj
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Besian Idrizaj | ||
| Date of birth | 12 October 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Baden bei Wien, Austria | ||
| Date of death | 15 May 2010 (aged 22) | ||
| Place of death | Linz, Austria | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2003 | Admira Linz | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Admira Linz | 0 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | LASK Linz | 35 | (4) |
| 2005–2008 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Luton Town (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | → Crystal Palace (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Wacker Innsbruck (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2009 | FC Eilenburg | 5 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Swansea City | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 57 | (5) | |
| National team | |||
| 2007–2009 | Austria U21 | 12 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Besian Idrizaj (12 October 1987 – 15 May 2010) was an Austrian professional footballer who last played as a striker for Swansea City. He also played in the Football League for Crystal Palace and Luton Town both whilst on loan from Liverpool for whom he did not make a League appearance. He also played for LASK Linz, Wacker Innsbruck and FC Eilenburg. He died of a heart attack on 15 May 2010 at the age of 22.
Idrizaj started his career with Austria Linz and LASK Linz.
He signed for Liverpool FC from LASK Linz in the summer of 2005 on a two-year contract, following a trial spell. He was Austria's young player of the year in 2004–05.
At the time he declared "I have always been a Liverpool fan and it is a dream come true to play for them. If you get a chance to go to Liverpool on trial then you have to take it. You cannot ignore a trial with the reigning Champions League winners. I would even have swum across the channel just to take part."
His 2005–06 season was interrupted by injuries. However Idrizaj was expected to be a regular member of Gary Ablett and Hughie McAuley's reserve squad for the 2006–07 season. He made his debut for the first team in a pre-season friendly against Wrexham on 15 July 2006, playing for the first 45 minutes upfront as a striker, alongside fellow debutant Craig Bellamy. After going on loan to Luton Town in 2007 he returned to Liverpool for the close season. On 7 July 2007, Idrizaj scored a hat trick in a friendly for the Reds against Wrexham in a period of 26 minutes. All three goals were set up by Jermaine Pennant.
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