Brajan Gruda

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Brajan Gruda

| image =

| caption =

| full_name = Brajan Gruda{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/4110099 |title=2024/25 Premier League squad lists |publisher=Premier League |date=13 September 2024 |access-date=13 September 2024}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|5|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Speyer, Germany{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/player/brajan-gruda|title=Brajan Gruda|access-date=25 January 2023|publisher=Bundesliga}}

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Attacking midfielder

| currentclub = Brighton & Hove Albion

| clubnumber = 8

| youthyears1 = 2010–2015

| youthclubs1 = FV Speyer

| youthyears2 = 2015–2018

| youthclubs2 = Karlsruher SC

| youthyears3 = 2018–2023

| youthclubs3 = Mainz 05

| years1 = 2023–2024

| clubs1 = Mainz 05

| caps1 = 30

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2024–

| clubs2 = Brighton & Hove Albion

| caps2 = 21

| goals2 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2019

| nationalteam1 = Germany U15

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2019

| nationalteam2 = Germany U16

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2022

| nationalteam3 = Germany U18

| nationalcaps3 = 2

| nationalgoals3 = 2

| nationalyears4 = 2022

| nationalteam4 = Germany U19

| nationalcaps4 = 7

| nationalgoals4 = 4

| nationalyears5 = 2023–

| nationalteam5 = Germany U21

| nationalcaps5 = 14

| nationalgoals5 = 2

| club-update = 23:49, 25 May 2025 (UTC)

| nationalteam-update = 10:05, 17 June 2025 (UTC)

}}

Brajan Gruda (born 31 May 2004) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for {{English football updater|Brigh&HA}} club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Club career

= Mainz 05 =

Born in Speyer, Gruda began his career with local side FV Speyer, before joining Karlsruher SC in 2015. He joined Mainz 05 at the age of 14, and signed his first professional contract with the club in November 2022.{{Cite web |date=18 November 2022 |title=05-TALENT GRUDA ERHÄLT PROFIVERTRAG |url=https://www.mainz05.de/news/05-talent-brajan-gruda-erhaelt-profivertrag/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118120312/https://www.mainz05.de/news/05-talent-brajan-gruda-erhaelt-profivertrag/ |archive-date=2022-11-18 |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=Mainz 05 |language=de}}

In January 2023, he was promoted to take part in first team training, and made his senior debut on 25 January 2023 in a 2–1 home Bundesliga defeat against Borussia Dortmund.{{cite web |url=https://www.koha.net/en/sport/362925/gruda-debuton-ne-futbollin-profesionist-me-mainzin-ne-bundeslige |title=Gruda debuts in professional football with Mainz in the Bundesliga |publisher=KOHA.net |date=25 January 2023 }} Later that year, on 6 October, he scored his first goal in a 2–2 away draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.{{cite web |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/matchday/2023-2024/7/borussia-moenchengladbach-vs-1-fsv-mainz-05/liveticker |title=Borussia Mönchengladbach 2–2 1. FSV Mainz 05 |publisher=Bundesliga |date=6 October 2023 }}

On 18 May 2024, he scored and assisted in a 3–1 victory against VfL Wolfsburg, confirming Mainz 05's survival in the Bundesliga on the last day of the season.{{Cite web |date=18 May 2024 |title=Geile Mannschaft, geile Jungs |url=https://www.mainz05.de/news/geile-mannschaft-geile-jungs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528122656/https://www.mainz05.de/news/geile-mannschaft-geile-jungs |archive-date=2024-05-28 |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=1. FSV Mainz 05 |language=de}}

= Brighton and Hove Albion =

On 14 August 2024, Gruda signed for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion on a contract until 2028.{{cite web |title=Brighton sign midfielder Gruda from Mainz for £25m |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cz073nekvg7o |website=BBC Sport |access-date=14 August 2024 |date=14 August 2024 }} On 10 May 2025, Gruda scored his first goal in English football in a Premier League match during a 2–0 away win at Wolves.{{Cite news |last=Unwin |first=Will |date=10 May 2025 |title=Welbeck spot on to reach goal milestone as Brighton solve equation at Wolves |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/10/welbeck-spot-on-to-reach-goal-milestone-as-brighton-solve-equation-at-wolves |access-date=2025-05-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

International career

Gruda is of Albanian descent.{{WorldFootball.net|brajan-gruda}} He has represented Germany at youth international level.{{cite web |url=https://www.dfb.de/datencenter/personen/brajan-gruda/spieler |title=Brajan Gruda |publisher=German Football Association |language=de }}

In September 2023, he was first called up by Germany U21, and he made his U21 debut in a 3–0 victory against Kosovo, he provided three assists in the match.{{Cite web |date=13 September 2023 |title=Gruda überzeugt, Mwene & Onisiwo auf EM-Kurs |url=https://www.mainz05.de/news/gruda-ueberzeugt-mwene-und-onisiwo-auf-em-kurs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002074616/https://www.mainz05.de/news/gruda-ueberzeugt-mwene-und-onisiwo-auf-em-kurs |archive-date=2023-10-02 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=1. FSV Mainz 05 |language=de}}{{Cite web |date=6 March 2014 |title=Kosovo U21 0:3 (0:0) Deutschland U21 |url=https://www.dfb.de/u-21-maenner/spiele-termine/spiele/?no_cache=1&spieledb_path=%2Fdatencenter%2Fem-qualifikation-1109%2F2023-24%2Fgruppe-d%2Fkosovo-u-21-deutschland-u-21-2351401 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123215346/https://www.dfb.de/u-21-maenner/spiele-termine/spiele/?no_cache=1&spieledb_path=%2Fdatencenter%2Fem-qualifikation-1109%2F2023-24%2Fgruppe-d%2Fkosovo-u-21-deutschland-u-21-2351401 |archive-date=2024-01-23 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=DFB – Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. |language=de}}

In May 2024, he trained with the senior national team prior to the UEFA Euro 2024.{{cite web |url=https://sport.sky.de/fussball/artikel/brajan-gruda-und-rocco-reitz-bleiben-laenger-beim-dfb-team/13145024/34942 |title=DFB-Überraschung zum Geburtstag! Youngster-Duo bleibt länger |publisher=Sky Sport |date=29 May 2024 }} He departed the training camp on 5 June after a calf injury.

Personal life

Gruda is the son of Albanian former Vllaznia Shkodër player Bujar Gruda.{{cite web|url=https://www.shkoder.info/2019/01/10/brajan-gruda-pinjolli-i-familjes-gruda-grumbullohet-me-kombetaren-u15-te-gjermanise/|title=Brajan Gruda, "pinjolli" i familjes Gruda grumbullohet me Kombëtaren U15 të Gjermanisë|trans-title=Brajan Gruda, the "kid" of the Gruda family, joins the U15 National Team of Germany|date=10 January 2019|accessdate=25 January 2023|website=shkoder.info|language=Albanian}} He is also related to fellow footballer Ildi Gruda. His ancestry traces to the Albanian Gruda tribe of Northern Albania.

In October 2024, in an interview on the German national channel, he stated: "I don't know what the future holds, my parents are Albanian but my heart says I want to play for Germany." {{cite web | url=https://www.cna.al/english/sport/uesi-refuzon-hapur-shqiperine-dua-te-luaj-ne-boteror-me-i411108 | title=The attacker openly rejects Albania: I want to play in the World Cup with | date=10 October 2024 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.voxnews.al/english/sport/gruda-i-mbyll-perfundimisht-deren-shqiperise-dua-te-luaj-per-gjermanine-i76204 | title=Gruda finally closes the door to Albania: I want to play for Germany }}

Career statistics

Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps
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"\|National cup{{efn\|Includes DFB-Pokal, FA Cup}} !colspan="2"\|League cup{{efn\|Includes EFL Cup}} !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
rowspan="3"\|Mainz 05 \|2022–23 \|Bundesliga \|2	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	3	0
2023–24 \|Bundesliga \|28	4	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	29	4
colspan="2"\|Total !30	4	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	32	4
Brighton & Hove Albion \|2024–25 \|Premier League \|21	1	3	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	25	1
colspan="3"\|Career total !51	5	5	0	1	0	0	0	57	5

Honours

Individual

Fritz Walter Medal U19 Silver: 2023{{cite web |title=Die Preisträger 2023 |url=https://www.dfb.de/fritz-walter-medaille/preistraeger-2023/ |website=dfb.de |language=de-DE |date=8 September 2023}}