- Nikica Jelavić
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Nikica Jelavić 
Jelavić playing for Rapid ViennaPersonal information Full name Nikica Jelavić Date of birth 27 August 1985 Place of birth Čapljina, SFR Yugoslavia Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position Centre forward Club information Current club Rangers Number 9 Youth career 1999–2001 GOŠK Gabela 2001–2002 Neretva 2002–2005 Hajduk Split Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2002–2007 Hajduk Split 35 (8) 2007–2008 Zulte Waregem 23 (3) 2008–2010 Rapid Vienna 70 (25) 2010– Rangers 36 (26) National team‡ 2009– Croatia 15 (2) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 November 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2011Nikica Jelavić (born 27 August 1985) is a Croatian football centre forward who plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers and the Croatian national team.
He started his career with Prva HNL side Hajduk Split in 2002, before moving to Belgian Pro League club Zulte Waregem in 2007. A year later he moved to Austrian Bundesliga team Rapid Wien and in the summer of 2010 he was signed by Scottish club Rangers for a fee of £4m.
Contents
Club career
Early career
Jelavic playing for Waregem
Jelavić was born in in Čapljina, Yugoslavia and started his youth career at his local side GOŠK Gabela, which plays in the Bosnian and Herzegovinian league system. His career took a more serious turn when he moved to the nearby cross-border club in Croatia, NK Neretva from the town of Metković, managed by Branko Gutić. At the encouragement of Ante Prco, Ivan Gudelj, Dražen Mužinić and Vilson Džoni he was brought to Hajduk Split's junior side at the age of 15.
He played his first match for Hajduk's senior side in the Prva HNL at the age of 17. Five years later in 2007 he signed for S.V. Zulte Waregem.[1]
Rapid Vienna
Jelavic playing for Rapid ViennaFor the season 2008–09 Jelavić played for the Austrian champions Rapid Vienna. In the Austrian Bundesliga he played 24 games (as first squad in 9 and as substitute in 15) and scored 7 goals without any yellow or red cards. In 2009–10, in the Austrian Bundesliga he played in 33 games (as first squad in 31 and as substitute in two) and scored 17 goals with 5 yellow cards and 1 red card. In the Europa League, he played six games and scored four goals with one assist.
In the summer of 2010 Jelavić was linked with a transfer to Rangers. A fee was originally agreed between the two clubs on 26 July,[2] but the transfer was delayed by a dispute between the player and Rapid Vienna over a payment Jelavić claimed the club owed him.[3] On 19 August, Rapid announced that Jelavić would be signing for Rangers, after the player announced he would not play in Rapid's Europa League qualifying match against Aston Villa.[4][5]
Rangers
On 20 August 2010, it was announced that Jelavić had completed a £4 million move to Rangers on a four-year-deal.[6] He made his debut in a home match against St. Johnstone on 28 August 2010.[7] Due to his former club Rapid Vienna eliminating Aston Villa from the Europa League, Jelavić was ineligible to participate in Rangers' Champions League campaign, after becoming cup tied after appearing for the Austrian side in the earlier rounds.[8]
On 11 September, Jelavić scored his first Rangers goal against, Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park after he headed in a Kyle Lafferty cross.[9] On 21 September, Jelavić played against Dunfermline Athletic in the League Cup, scoring two goals in the game including an overhead kick in a 7–2 win for Rangers.[10] In Rangers next away match to Aberdeen at Pittodrie Stadium, Jelavic scored what turned out to be the winning goal in a 3–2 Rangers win. Rangers were 2–0 down before coming back to win the match with Jelavić scoring the 3rd Rangers goal. The next week Jelavić was injured in a match against Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle Stadium, suffering ankle ligament damage due to a tackle by Hearts midfielder Ian Black.[11] Jelavić claimed that Black had intended to injure him, a charge denied by his opponent, who apologized for the challenge.[11]
After making his comeback off of the bench, Jelavić started his first match since his injury on 26 January 2011, scoring away from home against Hibernian in the first half.[12] Jelavić's first hat trick for Rangers came in a 6–0 win over Motherwell on 12 February 2011 at Ibrox Stadium. In Rangers' 4–0 victory against St. Johnstone on 27 February 2011, Jelavić scored two goals and assisted a third with a backheel pass.[13] On 20 March 2011, Jelavić scored the winning goal in extra time in Rangers' 2–1 win over Celtic in the 2011 Scottish League Cup Final.[14] He then scored in consecutive away 1–0 victories over Hamilton Academical and Aberdeen. Jelavić rounded off the season by scoring five goals in the last six matches of the season including a goal and two assists in Rangers' 5–1 title winning victory against Kilmarnock on the last matchday of the season. [15] Jelavić received the SFA goal of the season award for his spectacular overhead kick goal against Aberdeen.[16]
On 22 July 2011, a day before Rangers opening match of the season against Heart of Midlothian, it was announced that Jelavić would wear the number nine shirt for the 2011-12 season he had previously worn the number 18. On 30 August 2011, it was reported that Rangers had rejected a £6.5m bid from Championship club Leicester City for Jelavić.[17] and also an apparent bid from an unnamed club for 9 million pounds on Transfer Deadline Day
International career
In 2007, it was reported that Croatian national team coach Slaven Bilić had called up Jelavić for the Euro 2008 qualifiers, although he did not feature in any of the qualifying matches for the competition.[18]
Jelavić eventually made his full international debut in a friendly match against Qatar on 8 October 2009 in Rijeka, coming on as a substitute for Ivan Klasnić in the 64th minute.[citation needed] In the final moments of the match, he netted his first international goal to secure his team a 3–2 win.[citation needed] On 14 October 2009, he made his first competitive international appearance for Croatia, in the team's final 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in Astana, again coming on as a substitute for Klasnić, in the 77th minute.[citation needed] Croatia won the match 2–1, but failed to reach the play-offs after finishing third in their group.
In 2010, he made three international appearances in friendly matches, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Slovakia in Bratislava on 11 August.
International goals
- Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 8 October 2009 Stadion Kantrida, Rijeka 
Qatar3–2 3–2 Friendly 2 11 August 2010 Štadión Pasienky, Bratislava 
Slovakia1–1 1–1 Friendly Career statistics
- As of 5 November 2011
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Hajduk Split 2002–03 2 0 0 0 – – – – 2 0 2003–04 2 0 2 0 – – – – 4 0 2004–05 0 0 2 0 – – – – 2 0 2005–06 9 3 1 0 – – – – 10 3 2006–07 22 5 1 0 – – – – 23 5 Total 35 8 6 0 – – – – 41 8 Zulte Waregem 2007–08 23 3 2 0 – – – – 25 3 Total 23 3 2 0 – – – – 25 3 Rapid Vienna 2008–09 34 7 2 0 – – 2 0 38 7 2009–10 33 17 3 2 – – 12 9 48 28 2010–11 3 1 0 0 – – 4 4 7 5 Total 70 25 5 2 – – 18 13 93 40 Rangers 2010–11 23 16 1 0 3 3 0 0 27 19 2011–12 13 10 0 0 1 1 4 1 18 12 Total 36 26 1 0 4 4 4 1 45 31 Career Total 164 61 14 2 4 4 22 14 204 82 Honours
- Rangers
- Scottish Premier League: 2010–11
- Scottish League Cup: 2011
References
- ^ "Zulte-Waregem attire un international Croate!". FOOTGOAL. 4 June 2007. http://www.footgoal.net/suite.php?selection=16891.
- ^ "Follow the Jelavic road" STV Sport, 21 August 2010
- ^ "Rangers fury over Rapid Vienna u-turn after agreeing £4m Nikica Jelavic deal" Daily Record. 17 August 2010.
- ^ "Rapid kick out Jelavic after ´shock´ statement" Croatian Times, 19 August 2010
- ^ "Jelavic set for Gers move" Sky Sports, 19 August 2010
- ^ "Rangers sign Rapid Vienna's Nikica Jelavic for £4m". BBC Sport. 20 August 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8893879.stm.
- ^ "Rangers 2–1 St Johnstone". BBC Sport. 28 August 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8946424.stm.
- ^ "Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic to miss Champions League". BBC Sport. 26 August 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8937857.stm. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "Hamilton 1–2 Rangers". BBC Sport. 11 September 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8986069.stm. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Rangers 7–2 Dunfermline". BBC Sport. 21 September 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9013885.stm. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Ian Black to atone for Nikica Jelavic injury". BBC Sport. 6 October 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9060101.stm. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ "Rangers 2–1 Motherwell". Goal.com. 30 January 2011. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2932/spl/2011/01/30/2330184/rangers-2-1-motherwell-maurice-edu-and-steven-naismith-set.
- ^ "Rangers 4–0 St Johnstone". Goal.com. 27 February 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/news/461/scotland/2011/02/27/2371740/rangers-4-0-st-johnstone-gers-gain-three-points-on-celtic.
- ^ "Jelavic the hero in extra-time". ESPN Soccernet. 2011-03-20. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/313121?cc=5739. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ "Rangers 5–1 Kilmarnock". ESPN Soccernet. 2011-05-15. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/315521?cc=5901. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ^ "Nikica Jelavic strike is Scotland's goal of season". BBC Sport. 1 May 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13256003.stm. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ "Rangers reject £6.5m Leicester bid for Nikica Jelavic". BBC Sport. 30 August 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14723656.stm. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- ^ Nikica Jelavić at National-Football-Teams.com
External links
- Nikica Jelavic career stats at Soccerbase
- Nikica Jelavić at National-Football-Teams.com
- Nikica Jelavić at Transfermarkt.de
- Nikica Jelavić international stats at the Croatian Football Federation website
Rangers F.C. – current squad 1 McGregor · 2 Goian · 3 Weir (c) · 4 Broadfoot · 5 Papac · 6 McCulloch · 7 Edu · 8 Davis · 9 Jelavić · 10 Fleck · 11 Lafferty · 12 Wallace · 14 Naismith · 15 Healy · 16 Whittaker · 17 Ortiz · 18 Bocanegra · 20 McKay · 21 Bedoya · 22 Bartley · 23 McMillan · 25 Alexander · 26 Ness · 27 Wylde · 28 Kerkar · 32 Perry · 33 Bendiksen · 38 Hemmings · 41 McCabe · Manager: McCoist
Categories:- 1985 births
- Living people
- People from Čapljina
- Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatian footballers
- Croatia international footballers
- HNK Hajduk Split players
- S.V. Zulte-Waregem players
- SK Rapid Wien players
- Rangers F.C. players
- Prva HNL players
- Scottish Premier League players
- Croatian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Belgium
- Expatriate footballers in Austria
- Expatriate footballers in Scotland
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