Hamdi Salihi

Hamdi Salihi

Salihi with Rapid Wien in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Hamdi Abdullah Salihi
Date of birth	(1984-01-19) 19 January 1984 (age 33)
Place of birth	Shkodër, Albania
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Skënderbeu
Number	14
Youth career
2000–2002	Vllaznia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2004	Vllaznia	55	(30)
2004–2005	Panionios	6	(0)
2005–2007	Tirana	52	(42)
2007–2009	SV Ried	82	(34)
2009–2012	Rapid Wien	67	(36)
2012–2013	D.C. United	22	(6)
2013–2014	Jiangsu Sainty	28	(9)
2014–2015	Hapoel Acre	33	(14)
2015	Hapoel Haifa	10	(4)
2015–	Skënderbeu	54	(37)
National team‡
2002–2003	Albania U-19	2	(0)
2003–2005	Albania U-21	12	(1)
2006–2016	Albania	50	(11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 May 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 March 2015

Hamdi Abdullah Salihi (born 19 January 1984 in Shkodër, Albania) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a Forward for Albanian club Skënderbeu Korçë and the Albanian national team. Nicknamed 'The Bomber' by his former international coach Otto Barić who would compare him to Gerd Müller, Salihi was known for being a prolific goalscorer both in Albania and Austria, the two countries where he has spent the majority of his career. He had been a regular member of the Albanian national team since making his debut in 2006.

Salihi started his footballing career at his home town club Vllaznia Shkodër. In the 2002–03 season Salihi featured for the club only two times in his first professional year. In 2003–04 season, Salihi was given a chance to show his qualities as a young player which he managed to score 14 goals in 33 games. In his third season with the club he played just half of the season of 2004–05 which he managed to score 16 goals in only 20 matches and then after an impressive season in Albania's top division he moved to Greece.

In 2004, Salihi moved to Panionios in the top division of Greece. The young Albanian striker only managed to play in 6 games, mostly coming on as a substitute in the last few minutes. After the season was over he decided to go back to his country to play for KF Tirana.

Salihi moved back to Albania and played for KF Tirana starting from the 2005–06 season. He had a very successful season winning the National Cup and the golden boot as the highest scorer of the Albanian Superliga. He continued with KS Tirana for another half season, again being the highest scorer in the league before he left to play in the Austrian Bundesliga. In his time with KF Tirana Salihi became known all over the world for his goalscoring abilities. He finished 8th in The IFFHS World's best Top Division Goal Scorer 2006. In one season with KF Tirana he managed to score 35 goals in 39 games altogether. Also Salihi played half of the season in 2006–07 right before getting sold to SV Ried from KF Tirana which he managed to score 16 goals in 20 games.