Anujan Rajendram
{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 2000)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Anujan Rajendram
|image =
|full_name =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|5|11|df=y}}
|birth_place = Hammerfest, Norway{{NFT player|pid=95546}}
|height =
|position = Midfielder
|currentclub = Strindheim
|clubnumber = 5
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 = Grei
|youthyears2 =
|youthclubs2 = Grorud
|years1 = 2016–2021 |clubs1 = Grorud 2 |caps1 = 46 |goals1 = 2
|years2 = 2021–2023 |clubs2 = Oppsal |caps2 = 32 |goals2 = 5
|years3 = 2021–2022 |clubs3 = Oppsal 2 |caps3 = 13 |goals3 = 1
|years4 = 2023 |clubs4 = Nordstrand |caps4 = 8 |goals4 = 1
|years5 = 2023 |clubs5 = Nordstrand 2 |caps5 = 8 |goals5 = 0
|years6 = 2023–2024 |clubs6 = Oppsal |caps6 = 27 |goals6 = 3
|years7 = 2024– |clubs7 = Strindheim |caps7 = 2 |goals7 = 0
|years8 = 2024– |clubs8 = Strindheim 2 |caps8 = 2 |goals8 = 0
|totalcaps =
|totalgoals =
|nationalyears1 = 2024–
|nationalteam1 = Sri Lanka
|nationalcaps1 = 7
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|club-update =
|nationalteam-update = 20 March 2025
}}
Anujan Rajendram ({{langx|si|අනුජන් රාජේන්ද්රම්}}, {{langx|ta|அனுஜன் ராஜேந்திரம்}}; born 11 May 2000) is a footballer who plays as a midfielder for 2. divisjon club Strindheim. Born in Norway, he plays for Sri Lanka at international level.
Club career
Born in Norway to a Sri Lankan Tamil parents and raised in Ammerud, Rajendram began his footballing career with nearby Grei.{{cite web|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/morgendagens-midtstopper/s/12-95-3422898291|title=Morgendagens midtstopper|trans-title=Tomorrow's centre-back|first=Carina Alice|last=Bredesen|date=17 October 2008|access-date=2 October 2024|website=nettavisen.no|language=no}} He went on to join semi-professional side Grorud, and made his senior debut for their reserve team in the 3. divisjon in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.norskfotball.com/blogg/sri-lanka-rekrutterer-i-norsk-fotball---det-er-noe-med-a-dra-tilbake-til-moderlandet-der-mine-foreldre-vokste-opp|title=Sri Lanka rekrutterer i norsk fotball: - Det er noe med å dra tilbake til moderlandet der mine foreldre vokste opp|trans-title=Sri Lanka recruits in Norwegian football: - There is something about going back to the motherland where my parents grew up|date=4 March 2024|access-date=2 October 2024|website=norskfotball.com|language=no}} He spent six seasons with Grorud's reserve team, with the last two being severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, before joining Oppsal in 2021.
After two full seasons with Oppsal in the 3. divisjon, Rajendram moved to league rivals Nordstrand in 2023. However, the move did not last long, and by the end of the season he had returned to Oppsal.{{cite web|url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/sport/trikkeligaen/2023/09/09/ble-matchvinner-mot-gamleklubben-smakte-ekstra-godt/|title=Ble matchvinner mot gamleklubben: – Smakte ekstra godt|trans-title=Became a match winner against the old club: - Tasted extra good|date=9 September 2023|access-date=2 October 2024|website=dagsavisen.no|language=no}} {{subscription required}} After two seasons with Oppsal, Rajendram moved to PostNord-ligaen side Strindheim in September 2024, shortly after making his international debut.{{cite web|url=https://strindheimtoppfotball.no/a-lag-herrer/landslagsspiller-har-signert|title=Landslagsspiller har signert|trans-title=National team player has signed|date=18 September 2024|access-date=2 October 2024|website=strindheimtoppfotball.no|language=no}}
International career
Rajendram was first called up to the Sri Lanka national football team in early 2024 ahead of the 2024 FIFA Series in March of the same year.{{cite web|url=https://www.noblad.no/anujan-23-kan-bli-oppsals-forste-a-landslagsspiller-hadde-aldri-trodd-dette/s/5-56-784447|title=Anujan (23) kan bli Oppsals første A-landslagsspiller|trans-title=Anujan (23) can become Oppsal's first A national team player|date=19 February 2024|access-date=2 October 2024|website=noblad.no|language=no}} {{subscription required}}{{cite web|url=https://www.themorning.lk/articles/FBi5uadXZs4liu2SNbzX|title=FIFA Series in March: SL-origin players called up to strengthen National Pool|first=Muaard|last=Razick|date=23 February 2024|access-date=2 October 2024|website=themorning.lk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/sport/trikkeligaen/2024/04/11/oppsal-spiller-ble-historisk-ble-hentet-til-sri-lanka/|title=Oppsal-spiller ble historisk: Ble hentet til Sri Lanka|trans-title=Oppsal player became historic: Was brought to Sri Lanka|date=11 April 2024|access-date=2 October 2024|website=dagsavisen.no|language=no}} {{subscription required}} He would have to wait until September 2024 to make his debut, which came in a 0–0 draw with Cambodia in the play-off round of AFC Asian Cup qualification.{{cite web|url=https://divaina.lk/%E0%B7%81%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%93-%E0%B6%BD%E0%B6%82%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8F-%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B6%E0%B7%9D%E0%B6%A2%E0%B6%BA-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%AD%E0%B6%BB-%E0%B7%83/|title=ශ්රී ලංකා – කාම්බෝජය අතර සටන 10 දා|trans-title=The battle between Sri Lanka and Cambodia on the 10th|date=7 September 2024|access-date=2 October 2024|website=divaina.lk|language=si}}
Personal life
As well as football, Rajendram also played handball as a child, and balanced his footballing career with one in futsal, where he represented Grorud and Stovner.{{cite web|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/nybegynnerhandball/s/12-95-3422896754|title="Nybegynnerhåndball"|trans-title="Beginner handball"|first=Carina Alice|last=Bredesen|date=13 November 2008|access-date=2 October 2024|website=nettavisen.no|language=no}}{{Norwegian Football Federation link|3709768}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|30 September 2024}}{{Soccerway|anujan-rajendram/990211}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="7"|Grorud 2
|2016 |9 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2017
|rowspan="3"|4. divisjon |14 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2018
|7 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2019
|16 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 2{{efn|Appearances in the 4. divisjon promotion playoffs}} | 1 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2020
|rowspan="2"|3. divisjon |colspan="8"|–{{efn|The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway}} | ||||||||
| 2021
|0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2" |Total
!46 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 3 | |
| rowspan="4"|Oppsal
|2021 |rowspan="3"|3. divisjon |11 | 3 | 1{{efn|name=NC|Appearances in the Norwegian Cup}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2022
|21 | 2 | 3{{efn|name=NC}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2023
|0 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=NC}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!32 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 5 | |
| rowspan="3"|Oppsal 2
|2021 |rowspan="2"|4. divisjon |6 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 2022
|7 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2" |Total
!13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
| Nordstrand
|2023 |8 | 1 | 1{{efn|name=NC}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Nordstrand 2
|2023 |8 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Oppsal
|2023 |rowspan="2"|3. divisjon |11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2024
|16 | 1 | 2{{efn|name=NC}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!27 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |
| Strindheim
|2024 |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Strindheim 2
|2024 |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!138 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 152 | 13 |
;Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajendram, Anujan}}
Category:People from Hammerfest
Category:Sri Lankan men's footballers
Category:Sri Lanka men's international footballers
Category:Sri Lankan expatriate men's footballers
Category:Norwegian men's footballers
Category:Norwegian people of Sri Lankan descent
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Norwegian Second Division players
Category:Norwegian Third Division players
Category:Norwegian Fourth Division players
Category:Nordstrand IF players