Jakub Błaszczykowski

Jakub Błaszczykowski

Błaszczykowski with Poland in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-12-14) 14 December 1985 (age 31)
Place of birth	Truskolasy, Poland
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current team	VfL Wolfsburg
Number	14
Youth career
1993–2002
2002–2003	Górnik Zabrze
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2004		24	(11)
2004–2007	Wisła Kraków	51	(3)
2007–2016	Borussia Dortmund	197	(27)
2015–2016	→ Fiorentina (loan)	15	(2)
2016–	VfL Wolfsburg	10	(0)
National team‡
2004–2005	Poland U19	8	(0)
2005–2006	Poland U21	3	(1)
2006–	Poland	88	(17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 December 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 January 2017

Jakub "Kuba" Błaszczykowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjakub bwaʂt͡ʂɨˈkɔfskʲi]; born 14 December 1985) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a winger for German club VfL Wolfsburg and the Poland national team. He started his professional football at Wisła Kraków establishing himself at a young age. In 2007 he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he spent the majority of his career, making over 250 appearances and winning two Bundesliga titles, two DFL-Supercups, and one DFB-Pokal.

Błaszczykowski was twice named Polish Footballer of the Year in 2008 and 2010. With 84 appearances he is the seventh-most capped player for Poland, and captained them as they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012, while also appearing at UEFA Euro 2016.

Raised in Truskolasy near , Błaszczykowski began training at when he was eight years old. In 2002, at age 16, he joined the youth side of Górnik Zabrze. In early 2003 he joined KS Częstochowa and played in the Polish fourth league until the end of 2004. His uncle, former Poland captain Jerzy Brzęczek, then helped him get a trial at Wisła Kraków, where he impressed then-manager Werner Lička.