Dimitar Iliev (footballer, born 1988)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Dimitar Iliev

| image = D. iliev in 2022.jpg

| upright = 0.9

| caption = Dimitar Iliev in 2022

| full_name = Dimitar Krasimirov Iliev

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|9|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Plovdiv, Bulgaria

| height = 1.85 m

| position = Attacking midfielder, forward

| currentclub = Lokomotiv Plovdiv

| clubnumber = 14

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2004–2009 | clubs1 = Lokomotiv Plovdiv | caps1 = 73 | goals1 = 14

| years2 = 2010–2011 | clubs2 = CSKA Sofia | caps2 = 5 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2010 | clubs3 = → Minyor Pernik (loan) | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 5

| years4 = 2011 | clubs4 = → Pirin Blagoevgrad (loan) | caps4 = 12 | goals4 = 3

| years5 = 2011–2012 | clubs5 = Montana | caps5 = 27 | goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2012–2014 | clubs6 = Lokomotiv Sofia | caps6 = 57 | goals6 = 10

| years7 = 2014–2017 | clubs7 = Wisła Płock | caps7 = 90 | goals7 = 11

| years8 = 2017–2018 | clubs8 = Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała | caps8 = 23 | goals8 = 3

| years9 = 2018– | clubs9 = Lokomotiv Plovdiv | caps9 = 204 | goals9 = 61

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2005

| nationalteam1 = Bulgaria U17

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 5

| nationalyears2 = 2006–2007

| nationalteam2 = Bulgaria U19

| nationalcaps2 =

| nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3 = 2008–2009

| nationalteam3 = Bulgaria U21

| nationalcaps3 = 2

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2020–2021

| nationalteam4 = Bulgaria

| nationalcaps4 = 13

| nationalgoals4 = 3

| medaltemplates =

| club-update = 6 January 2025

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Dimitar Krasimirov Iliev ({{langx|bg|Димитър Красимиров Илиев}}, born 25 September 1988) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Lokomotiv Plovdiv, which he captains. He won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 2019 and 2020.

Club career

Iliev began his career in the youth ranks of Lokomotiv Plovdiv. After making his way through the various youth levels at the club, he debuted for the senior team in a 4–1 home win over Lokomotiv Sofia on 11 September 2004, aged 15. In November 2004, Iliev had a trial spell with Chelsea.{{cite web|publisher=monitor.bg |title=Димитър Илиев от Локо (Пд) започва проби в Челси |url=http://www.monitor.bg/article?id=17984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419170616/http://www.monitor.bg/article?id=17984 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2014 |date=1 November 2004 |language=bg}}

File:Dimitar iliev.JPG

In January 2010, Iliev signed for CSKA Sofia, but struggled to get into the main squad and spent loan spells at Minyor Pernik and Pirin Blagoevgrad, before joining Montana on a permanent basis in August 2011.{{cite web|publisher=btvnovinite.bg|title=Монтана се подсили с бивш цесекар|url=https://btvnovinite.bg/a-grupa/montana-se-podsili-s-bivsh-tsesekar.html|date=2 August 2011|language=bg}}

After one season with Montana, Iliev joined Lokomotiv Sofia, where he spent two seasons before moving to Poland to sign for Wisła Płock in 2014. In 2015–16, his second season with the club, Iliev helped Wisła achieve promotion to the Ekstraklasa. He spent three full seasons with Wisła before moving to Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała in 2017 where he spent one season.

On 16 July 2018, Iliev re-joined Lokomotiv Plovdiv, signing a two-year contract.{{cite web|publisher=lokomotivpd.com|title=Локомотив подписа договор с Димитър Илиев|url=https://lokomotivpd.com/lokomotiv-podpisa-dogovor-s-dimitar-iliev/|date=16 July 2018|language=bg|access-date=19 April 2019|archive-date=22 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422200139/https://lokomotivpd.com/lokomotiv-podpisa-dogovor-s-dimitar-iliev/|url-status=dead}} At the end of the season he lifted the Bulgarian Cup as a captain of his childhood team. The 1–0 win against local rivals Botev Plovdiv was achieved with the only goal in 73rd minute scored by Alen Ožbolt (assist by Ante Aralica and pre-assist by Iliev himself). It happened to be the first Bulgarian Cup trophy for Lokomotiv as well as the 1st ever trophy in Iliev's career. On 2 August 2020, Iliev scored a last-minute goal against Ludogorets Razgrad, helping his team to a 1–0 win and a Bulgarian Supercup triumph.{{cite web|publisher=topsport.bg|author=Dimitrov, Ivaylo|title=Локо (Пд) надигра Лудогорец и заслужи втора в историята си Суперкупа на България!|url=https://topsport.bg/bg-football/loko-pd-nadigra-ludogorets-i-zasluzhi-vtora-v-istoriyata-si-superkupa-na-balgariya.html|date=2 August 2020|access-date=4 August 2020|language=bg}}

International career

In November 2019, Iliev received his first call up to the national team for the friendly match against Paraguay and the UEFA Euro 2020 Qualification match against the Czech Republic,{{cite web|publisher=topsport.bg|title=Георги Дерменджиев започна с изненадите в националния отбор|url=https://topsport.bg/national/georgi-dermendzhiev-zapochna-s-iznenadite-v-natsionalniya-otbor.html|date=4 November 2019|access-date=23 November 2019}} but remained an unused substitute for both games. He earned his first cap on 26 February 2020, playing the first half of the 0–1 home loss against Belarus in a friendly game.{{cite web|publisher=sportal.bg|title=Експериментален състав на България отстъпи на Беларус (видео+галерия)|url=https://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=829846|date=26 February 2020|access-date=27 February 2020}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan=2\|Club !rowspan=2\|Season !colspan=3\|League !colspan=2\|CupIncludes Bulgarian Supercup matches. !colspan=2\|Continental !colspan=2\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan=7\|Lokomotiv Plovdiv \|2004–05 \|A Group \|3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
2005–06 \|A Group \|11	0	1	1	0	0	12	1
2006–07 \|A Group \|12	3	1	0	1	0	14	3
2007–08 \|A Group \|9	1	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	11	1
2008–09 \|A Group \|25	7	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	26	7
2009–10 \|A Group \|13	3	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	13	3
colspan=2\| Total !73	14	5	1	1	0	80	14
rowspan=3\|CSKA Sofia \|2009–10 \|A Group \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2010–11 \|A Group \|5	0	1	0	4	0	10	0
colspan=2\| Total !5	0	1	0	4	0	10	0
rowspan=1\|Minyor Pernik (loan) \|2009–10 \|A Group \|14	5	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	15	5
rowspan=1\|Pirin Blagoevgrad (loan) \|2010–11 \|A Group \|12	3	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	13	3
rowspan=1\|Montana \|2011–12 \|A Group \|27	2	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	27	2
rowspan=3\|Lokomotiv Sofia \|2012–13 \|A Group \|26	4	5	2	colspan="2"\|—	31	6
2013–14 \|A Group \|31	6	5	0	colspan="2"\|—	36	6
colspan=2\| Total !57	10	10	2	0	0	67	12
rowspan=4\|Wisła Płock \|2014–15 \|I liga \|32	5	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	32	5
2015–16 \|I liga \|29	3	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	30	3
2016–17 \|Ekstraklasa \|29	3	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	29	3
colspan=2\| Total !90	11	1	0	0	0	91	11
rowspan=1\|Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała \|2017–18 \|I liga \|23	3	3	0	colspan="2"\|—	26	3
rowspan=5\|Lokomotiv Plovdiv \|2018–19 \|First League \|29	9	6	2	colspan="2"\|—	35	11
2019–20 \|First League \|27	12	7	5	4	2	38	19
2020–21 \|First League \|30	13	4	3	2	1	36	17
2021–22 \|First League \|31	13	3	2	4	2	38	17
colspan=2\| Total !190	61	25	13	11	5	226	79
colspan="3"\|Career statistics	406	88	42	15	15	5	463	108

=International=

:Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable"
1.	11 November 2020	rowspan=3\|Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	{{fb\|GIB}}	align=center\|3–0	align=center\| 3–0	Friendly
2.	15 November 2020	{{fb\|FIN}}	align=center\|1–2	align=center\| 1–2	2020–21 UEFA Nations League B
3.	8 September 2021	{{fb\|GEO}}	align=center\|2–0	align=center\| 4–1	Friendly

Honours

Lokomotiv Plovdiv

Individual

Bulgarian Footballer of the Year: 2019, 2020{{cite web|author=Petkov, Georgi|publisher=topsport.bg|title=Димитър Илиев е "Футболист на годината", получи наградата си лично от Бербатов|url=https://topsport.bg/bg-football/dimitar-iliev-e-futbolist-na-godinata-poluchi-nagradata-si-lichno-ot-berbatov.html|date=5 January 2020|access-date=8 January 2020}}
Bulgarian First League Best Forward: 2019
Bulgarian First League Best youth forward: 2006
Plovdiv Best Footballer: 2019, 2020, 2021{{cite web|url=https://www.plovdiv24.bg/sport/1209107.html |title=Димитър Илиев за трети пореден път е "Футболист №1 на Пловдив" |date=9 February 2022 |language=bg |access-date=31 August 2022}}
Bulgarian First League Goal of the Week: 2021–22,{{cite web | url=https://www.vbox7.com/play:bd46e54463 | title=Димитър Илиев не прости на Лудогорец за 1:1 }}

References

External links

{{in lang|bg}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20090327150618/http://lportala.net/players/117.html Lokomotiv Plovdiv profile]
{{Soccerway|dimitar-iliev/51769}}
{{90minut|27750}}

Category:1988 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Plovdiv

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Bulgarian men's footballers

Category:Bulgaria men's international footballers

Category:Bulgaria men's under-21 international footballers

Category:Bulgaria men's youth international footballers

Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players

Category:Ekstraklasa players

Category:I liga players

Category:PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv players