Szczęsny in 2011
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Wojciech Tomasz Szczęsny | ||
Date of birth | 18 April 1990 | ||
Place of birth | Warsaw, Poland | ||
Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Arsenal | ||
Youth career | |||
2004–2005 | Agrykola Warsaw | ||
2005–2006 | Legia Warsaw | ||
2006–2009 | Arsenal | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2009– | Arsenal | 132 | (0) |
2009–2010 | → Brentford (loan) | 28 | (0) |
2015–2017 | → Roma (loan) | 72 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2007–2010 | Poland U20 | 4 | (0) |
2009–2012 | Poland U21 | 7 | (0) |
2009– | Poland | 28 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:44, 29 May 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2016 |
Wojciech Tomasz Szczęsny ([ˈvɔjt͡ɕɛx ˈʂt͡ʂɛ̃snɨ]; born 18 April 1990) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Roma on loan from Arsenal, and for the Poland national team.
After starting his career at Legia Warsaw, Szczęsny signed for Arsenal in 2006, where he made his professional debut in 2009. He later became the club's first choice goalkeeper, winning two FA Cups and being the joint recipient (with Petr Čech) of the 2013–14 Premier League Golden Glove.
Szczęsny has earned more than 25 caps for Poland from his debut in 2009, and was included in the nation's squad as it co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012.
Szczęsny was born in Warsaw. He is the son of Maciej Szczęsny, who was also a professional goalkeeper, having played for Legia Warszawa, Widzew Łódź, Polonia Warsaw and Wisła Kraków, along with seven games for the Poland national team.
Szczęsny trained at Agrykola Warsaw as a young player; soon, Legia Warsaw's goalkeeping coach, Krzysztof Dowhań, was so impressed with the young keeper, he allowed him to take part in a training camp with Legia's first team at the age of 15, joining them afterwards.
In 2006, Szczęsny joined the Arsenal youth set-up, progressing to the reserve team during the 2008–09 season. In November 2008, he lost his balance while lifting a heavy weight and both his forearms were fractured, causing him to miss five months. Szczęsny appeared on the first team bench for the first time during the Premier League match against Stoke City on 24 May 2009, remaining unused as the team concluded their season with a 4–1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.