Edgaras Utkus

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Edgaras Utkus

| fullname =

| image =

| caption =

| height = 1.87 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|2000|6|22}}

| birth_place = Radviliškis, Lithuania

| position = Midfielder, defender

| currentclub = Cercle Brugge

| clubnumber = 3

| youthyears1 = 2015–2018

| youthclubs1 = NFA

| youthyears2 = 2018–2019

| youthclubs2 = Monaco

| years1 = 2019–2021

| clubs1 = Monaco B

| caps1 = 8

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2021–

| clubs2 = Cercle Brugge

| caps2 = 73

| goals2 = 4

| nationalyears1 = 2016

| nationalteam1 = Lithuania U16

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2015–2016

| nationalteam2 = Lithuania U17

| nationalcaps2 = 11

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2017

| nationalteam3 = Lithuania U18

| nationalcaps3 = 4

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2017–2018

| nationalteam4 = Lithuania U19

| nationalcaps4 = 15

| nationalgoals4 = 3

| nationalyears5 = 2018–2021

| nationalteam5 = Lithuania U21

| nationalcaps5 = 11

| nationalgoals5 = 1

| nationalyears6 = 2020–

| nationalteam6 = Lithuania

| nationalcaps6 = 18

| nationalgoals6 = 0

| club-update = 22 March 2025

| nationalteam-update = 25 March 2025

}}

Edgaras Utkus (born 22 June 2000) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or defender for Cercle Brugge and the Lithuania national team.{{WorldFootball.net}}

Career

=Monaco=

In 2019, Utkus signed his first professional contract with Monaco. In France he played from summer of the 2019.{{cite news |title=Le jeune Lituanien Edgaras Utkus à Monaco |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Le-jeune-lituanien-edgaras-utkus-a-monaco/865143 |work=L'Équipe |date=9 January 2018 |language=fr |access-date=28 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728075956/https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Le-jeune-lituanien-edgaras-utkus-a-monaco/865143 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Oficialu: "Monaco" žvaigždyne – parašą padėjęs Lietuvos talentas |url=https://www.15min.lt/sportas/naujiena/futbolas/oficialu-monaco-zvaigzdyne-parasa-padejes-lietuvos-talentas-24-1184892 |work=15min.lt/sportas |date=7 August 2018 |language=lt}}{{cite news |title=Oficialu: perspektyvus lietuvis pasirašė sutartį su Prancūzijos futbolo gigantu Monaco |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/sportas/10/1085832/oficialu-perspektyvus-lietuvis-pasirase-sutarti-su-prancuzijos-futbolo-gigantu-monaco%20lrt.lt |work=lrt.lt |date=6 August 2019 |language=lt}} He appeared for the reserves, competing in Championnat National 2.

=Cercle Brugge=

In the summer of 2021, Utkus moved to Belgian First Division A club Cercle Brugge.{{cite web |title=Edgaras Utkus and Boris Popovic to Cercle Brugge |url=https://www.asmonaco.com/en/edgaras-utkus-and-boris-popovic-move-to-cercle-brugge/ |website=AS Monaco |date=20 July 2021}} He made his debut on 24 July 2021 in a match against Beerschot which was interrupted after 55 minutes due to heavy rainfall.{{cite news |last1=Lambrecht |first1=Yannick |title=Regen is spelbreker in het Kiel, Beerschot en Cercle maken match dinsdag af |url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20210724_95538458 |work=Gazet van Antwerpen |date=24 July 2021 |language=nl-BE}} The match was continued on 27 July, and ended in a 1–0 win for Cercle. Despite being a midfielder, Utkus lined up in the right side of central defense, where he kept a clean sheet.{{cite web |title=Beerschot vs. Cercle Brugge - 27 July 2021 - Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/07/27/belgium/pro-league/kfco-wilrijk/cercle-brugge-ksv/3512061/ |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=31 July 2021}}

On 4 August 2022, Cercle Brugge announced that Utkus had suffered a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament and a tear in the meniscus of his knee, which required surgery.{{cite press release |title=Medische update: Edgaras Utkus |url=https://www.cerclebrugge.be/nl/news/medische-update-edgaras-utkus |website=Cercle Brugge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804121828/https://www.cerclebrugge.be/nl/news/medische-update-edgaras-utkus |archive-date=4 August 2022 |language=nl-BE |date=2 August 2022 |url-status=dead}} The injury effectively ended his season.{{cite news |title=Edgaras Utkus ziet het einde van zijn lange revalidatie |url=https://kw.be/sport/voetbal/edgaras-utkus-ziet-het-einde-van-zijn-lange-revalidatie-naderen-sedert-een-maand-train-ik-weer-mee-met-de-groep/ |access-date=4 June 2023 |work=De Krant van West-Vlaanderen |date=22 April 2023 |language=nl}}{{cite news |last1=Verweirder |first1=Luc |title=Edgaras Utkus (Cercle Brugge) na verloren seizoen opnieuw fit: "Al is het voor kwartiertje, ik ben klaar" |url=https://www.hln.be/sport-in-de-buurt/edgaras-utkus-cercle-brugge-na-verloren-seizoen-opnieuw-fit-al-is-het-voor-kwartiertje-ik-ben-klaar~a4f2ea63/ |access-date=4 June 2023 |work=Het Laatste Nieuws |date=1 June 2023 |language=nl-BE}} Despite the severity of his injury, he extended his contract with the club on 23 April 2023, signing a deal until 2026.{{cite news |last1=Vandecauter |first1=Joachim |title=Opvallend: Cercle Brugge verlengt het contract van speler die al het hele seizoen uit is |url=https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2023-04-07/opvallend-cercle-brugge-verlengt-het-contract-van-speler-die-al-het-hele-seizoen-uit-is |access-date=4 June 2023 |work=Voetbalkrant |date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415045413/https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2023-04-07/opvallend-cercle-brugge-verlengt-het-contract-van-speler-die-al-het-hele-seizoen-uit-is |archive-date=15 April 2023 |language=nl}}

International career

Utkus made his international debut for the Lithuania national team on 11 November 2020 in a friendly match against the Faroe Islands.[https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/friendlies/match/2030221--lithuania-vs-faroe-islands/ Lithuania v Faroe Islands]

Career statistics

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="4"\|Lithuania \|2020	2	0
2021	3	0
2022	5	0
2023	4	0
colspan="2"\|Total	14	0