Alban Bunjaku
{{short description|Kosovan footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alban Bunjaku
| image =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|5|20|df=y}}{{WorldFootball.net|alban-bunjaku}}
| birth_place = Romford, England
| height = {{height|m=1.85}}
| currentclub =
| position = Attacking midfielder
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}
| youthclubs1 = Eastbrook
| youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–2002
| youthclubs2 = Ascot United
| youthyears3 = 2002–2012
| youthclubs3 = Arsenal
| years1 = 2012–2014
| clubs1 = Sevilla Atlético
| caps1 = 10
| goals1 = 1
| years2 = 2012–2013
| clubs2 = → Slavia Prague B (loan)
| caps2 = 2
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2014–2016
| clubs3 = Derby County
| caps3 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2016
| clubs4 = Dordrecht
| caps4 = 9
| goals4 = 2
| totalcaps = 21
| totalgoals = 3
| nationalyears1 = 2014
| nationalteam1 = Kosovo
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 6 June 2016
| nationalteam-update = 05:15, 25 March 2020 (UTC)
}}
Alban Bunjaku (born 20 May 1994) is a professional footballer who last played as an attacking midfielder for Dutch club Dordrecht. Born in England, he represented Kosovo at international level.
Club career
=Early career=
Born in London, Bunjaku joined the Arsenal F.C. Academy in 2002, at the age of eight.{{cite web|title=Sevilla sign English-born Arsenal starlet|url=http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/14698/sevilla-sign-english-born-arsenal-starlet/|work=Inside Spanish Football|date=28 June 2012|accessdate=27 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409103750/http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/14698/sevilla-sign-english-born-arsenal-starlet/|archive-date=9 April 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
=Sevilla=
After scoring fifteen goals in twenty-three starts for the under-18 side, Bunjaku left Arsenal to sign for La Liga club Sevilla.{{cite web |url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2012/10/23/the-story-of-arsenals-former-protege-18-year-old-romford-born/ |title=The story of Arsenal's former protege, 18-year-old Romford-born Alban Bunjaku |website=www.hitc.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629223231/http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2012/10/23/the-story-of-arsenals-former-protege-18-year-old-romford-born/ |archive-date=2015-06-29}} He spent the 2012–13 season with the club's reserve side, Sevilla Atlético, in the Segunda División B.{{cite news|title=Derby sign former Arsenal midfielder Alban Bunjaku on a free transfer|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11688/9344298/transfer-news-derby-sign-midfielder-alban-bunjaku-on-a-free-transfer|accessdate=11 March 2016|work=SKY Sports|date=10 June 2014}} He made his debut on 14 October 2012 in the 8th game week against Cartagena, coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute in place of Álex Rubio. The match finished in a 2–2 draw.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/10/14/spain/segunda-b/sevilla-futbol-club-ii/futbol-club-cartagena/1336739/|title=Sevilla II vs. Cartagena|date=14 October 2012|website=Soccerway.com}} He scored first goal on 4 November 2012 in the 11th game week against Melilla and gave Sevilla Atlético the 0–1 away victory when he scored in the 53rd minute, but was replaced only 12 minutes later by Joaquín García.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/11/04/spain/segunda-b/union-deportiva-melilla/sevilla-futbol-club-ii/1336767/|title=Melilla vs. Sevilla II|date= 4 November 2012|website=Soccerway.com}}
=Derby County=
On 10 June 2014, it was announced that Bunjaku had returned to England to sign a two-year contract with Championship side Derby County.{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11688/9344298/transfer-news-derby-sign-midfielder-alban-bunjaku-on-a-free-transfer|title=Derby sign former Arsenal midfielder Alban Bunjaku on a free transfer|website=Sky Sports.com}} Head coach Steve McClaren said that Bunjaku had potential to do well at Derby, given his experience gained from a decade with Arsenal and also from his short time at Sevilla Atlético.{{cite web | url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Derby-County-hoping-unlock-potential-Arsenal/story-21212821-detail/story.html#ixzz3LRmcjxws | newspaper=Derby Telegraph | title=Derby County hoping to unlock potential of former Arsenal midfielder Alban Bunjaku | first=Chris | last=Watson | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830201604/http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/derby-county-hoping-unlock-potential-arsenal/story-21212821-detail/story.html |archivedate=2016-08-30 | date=11 June 2014 | accessdate=30 November 2019 }}
After spending time mainly with the under-21 side, Bunjaku left the club months before the end of his contract by mutual consent.{{cite news|title=Midfielder Alban Bunjaku leaves Rams|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35324644|accessdate=11 March 2016|work=BBC Sport|date=15 January 2016}}
=Dordrecht=
On 18 January 2016, shortly after leaving Derby County, Bunjaku signed with Dordrecht of the Eerste Divisie.{{cite news|title=Alban Bunjaku naar FC Dordrecht|url=http://www.fcdordrecht.nl/2016/01/18/bunjaku-naar-fc-dordrecht/|accessdate=11 March 2016|work=FC Dordrecht|date=18 January 2016}} He made his debut for the club on the same day in a league match against Emmen. He came on as a 63rd-minute substitute for Ibrahim Touré as Dordrecht lost the match 2–0.{{cite web|title=FC Dordrecht 0-2 FC Emmen|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/01/18/netherlands/eerste-divisie/bvo-fc-dordrecht/fc-emmen/2039737/|website=Soccerway}}
International career
In January 2012, the media reported that the Albanian Football Association were trying to convince the player to be part of their national team, since the English Football Association had not made him any invitation to play in the England national side.[http://supersport.al/m/artikull.php?id=1896 Talenti mes Shqiperise dhe Anglise | | Futboll |] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20141208152204/http://supersport.al/m/artikull.php?id=1896 |date=2014-12-08 }} SuperSport.al He was called up to represent Albania under-19, after the English youth team overlooked him.{{Cite web |url=http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2012/10/23/the-story-of-arsenals-former-protege-18-year-old-romford-born/ |title=The story of Arsenal's former protege, 18-year-old Romford-born Alban Bunjaku |access-date=27 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123050001/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2012/10/23/the-story-of-arsenals-former-protege-18-year-old-romford-born/ |archive-date=23 January 2020 |url-status=dead }}
In May 2014, Bunjaku was called up to the Kosovo national football team for the friendly matches against Turkey and Senegal.[http://www.panorama-sport.com/lajme-flash/dy-miqesoret-bunjaku-shpall-listen-e-kosoves/ Dy miqësoret, Bunjaku shpall listën e Kosovës] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213180232/http://www.panorama-sport.com/lajme-flash/dy-miqesoret-bunjaku-shpall-listen-e-kosoves/ |date=2014-12-13 }} Panorama Sport On 21 May 2014, Bunjaku made his international debut for Kosovo against Turkey, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute in place of Lum Rexhepi in a 1–6 loss at the Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium, Mitrovica, Kosovo.[http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=1483 Kosovo national team v Turkey*, 21 May 2014] EU-Football.info
Career statistics
{{updated|13 September 2016}}{{Soccerway|alban-bunjaku/273474}}{{NFT player|id=55436|accessdate=}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|Cup !colspan=2|Europe !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan=2|Sevilla Atlético | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0| | ||||
| |10 | 1 | |||||||
| colspan=2|Total
!10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| rowspan=2|Slavia Prague B | | | |||||||
| | | ||||||||
| colspan=2|Total
! | ||||||||
| rowspan=2|Derby County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0| | ||||
| |0 | 0 | |||||||
| colspan=2|Total
!0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| rowspan=2|Dordrecht
|9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| colspan=3|Career total
!19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
=International=
{{updated|25 May 2014}}[http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=28595 Alban Bunjaku - national football team player] EU-Football.info
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan=3 | Kosovo national team | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2 | 0 |
| Total||2||0 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{BDFutbol|402090}}
- {{Soccerway|alban-bunjaku/273474}}
- [http://www.fcdordrecht.nl/speler/alban-bunjaku/ FC Dordrecht Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213080338/http://www.fcdordrecht.nl/speler/alban-bunjaku/ |date=13 February 2018 }}.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunjaku, Alban}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Havering
Category:English people of Albanian descent
Category:English people of Kosovan descent
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Kosovan men's footballers
Category:Kosovo men's international footballers
Category:Ascot United F.C. players
Category:Sevilla Atlético players
Category:Segunda División B players
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands