Rocky Lekaj

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Rocky Lekaj

| image =

| fullname = Rocky Rexhep Lekaj{{cite web | title = List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 1 January 2010 and 31 January 2010 | url = http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/RulesandRegulations/~/media/Files/PDF/TheFA/PlayerRegistrations/January%202010.ashx/January%202010.pdf | publisher = The Football Association | accessdate = 2010-02-07}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|10|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Peć, Kosovo

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}{{ESPNsoccernet|id=97481|name=Rocky Lekaj}}

| youthclubs1 = Grei

| youthclubs2 = Sheffield Wednesday

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2006

| youthyears2 = 2006–2007

| currentclub = Gjøvik-Lyn

| clubnumber = 7

| position = Midfielder, left winger

| years1 = 2007–2010 | clubs1 = Sheffield Wednesday

| years2 = 2009 | clubs2 = → Sandefjord (loan)

| years3 = 2010 | clubs3 = Lyn

| years4 = 2010–2011 | clubs4 = Romsås

| years5 = 2011–2013 | clubs5 = Grorud

| years6 = 2013–2016 | clubs6 = Raufoss

| years7 = 2016–2017 | clubs7 = Kristiansund

| years8 = 2017–2018 | clubs8 = Fredrikstad

| years9 = 2019– | clubs9 = Gjøvik-Lyn

| caps1 = 4 | goals1 = 0

| caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0

| caps3 = 7 | goals3 = 1

| caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 0

| caps5 = 38 | goals5 = 15

| caps6 = 79 | goals6 = 69

| caps7 = 12 | goals7 = 2

| caps8 = 34 | goals8 = 6

| caps9 = 87 | goals9 = 65

| nationalyears1 = 2007

| nationalyears2 = 2007

| nationalteam1 = Norway U18

| nationalteam2 = Norway U19

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update = 7 December 2023

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Rocky Rexhep Lekaj (born 12 October 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or left winger for Gjøvik-Lyn. Born in Kosovo, he has represented Norway at an international youth level and formerly played for Sheffield Wednesday.{{cite web|title = Rocky ny SF-spiller|url= http://www.sb.no/article/20090723/NYHETER/204567997/1158|work= Sandefjords Blad|publisher= sb.no|language= Norwegian|accessdate= 23 July 2009 }}

Career

Lekaj hails from Ammerud in Oslo,{{Cite news|url=http://www.groruddalen.no/knalldebut-for-rocky.444087-19209.html|title=Knalldebut for Rocky|last=Thorsen|first=Kay Grue|date=17 March 2007|work=Akers Avis Groruddalen|language=Norwegian|accessdate=5 May 2009}} and was inspired by footballer Dagfinn Enerly, who was his school teacher in the early years.{{Cite news|url=http://www.groruddalen.no/rocky-14-er-greis-nye-landslagsspiller.165801-19209.html|title=Rocky (14) er Greis nye landslagsspiller|last=Mellingsæter|first=Hanne|date=23 June 2004|work=Akers Avis Groruddalen|language=Norwegian|accessdate=5 May 2009}} He started his career in SF Grei.{{Cite news|url=http://www.groruddalen.no/hjem-paa-laant-tid.4586936-19209.html|title=Hjem på lånt tid|last=Thorsen|first=Kay Grue|date=2 May 2009|work=Akers Avis Groruddalen|language=Norwegian|accessdate=5 May 2009}} He was signed by Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2006. He first appeared for the first team on 13 March 2007 at Hillsborough, entering the game as an 86th-minute substitute for striker Steve MacLean in a 2–0 league victory against Colchester United. Lekaj became the youngest Norwegian player who has ever played in the professional English league system. He played one more game in the 2006–07 season.{{soccerbase|46340|name=Rocky Lekaj}}

Lekaj did not play first-team football in the 2007–08 season, but made his first appearance of the 2008–09 season against Rotherham United in the League Cup. He came on as a substitute for Jimmy Smith and showed signs of promise, despite not playing in his favoured left wing position.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} He also played two games in the Football League Championship and one game in the FA Cup. Following the close of the 2008–09 season, Lekaj was reported to be a transfer target for Grimsby Town, this was quashed by Mariners manager Mike Newell, mentioning that Lekaj's agent had approached Newell while he was scouting at a Wednesday Reserves game. Newell commented that Lekaj was not the sort of player he was looking for.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportgrimsby.co.uk/football/grimsby_town/mariners_news/displayarticle.php?ID=8851 |title=Latest Grimsby Sport news | Grimsby Telegraph |website=Sportgrimsby.co.uk |date=2017-03-23 |accessdate=2017-04-02}} In 2009, Lekaj scored fourteen goals in ten appearances for the reserve team and was recommended by the manager a loan move. Lekaj ended up in Sandefjord, but an ankle injury kept him out of the football. When he returned to Sheffield Wednesday, manager Brian Laws was replaced. Lekaj then left Wednesday after his contract was cancelled in March 2010, having made six appearances for the Owls.[http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10304~1997163,00.html ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322193557/http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/News/0%2C%2C10304~1997163%2C00.html |date=22 March 2010 }}

He ended up in Lyn and played for them until the club went bankrupt in the summer of 2010.{{Cite news|url=http://fotball.aftenposten.no/forstediv/article176434.ece|title=Jeg er arbeidsledig for første gang i mitt liv|date=8 August 2010|publisher=Aftenposten.no|language=Norwegian|accessdate=24 September 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019021934/http://fotball.aftenposten.no/forstediv/article176434.ece|archivedate=19 October 2010}} He then signed for the Norwegian Fourth Division team Romsås to help them win promotion.{{Cite news|url=http://oppegard.org/files/romsaasoi.html|title=Tap mot et bedre lag|date=8 September 2010|publisher=Oppegård IL|language=Norwegian|accessdate=24 September 2010}} In 2011, he played for Grorud IL in their promotion campaign to the Second Division.{{cite news|title=Rocky er blitt voksen|last=Thorsen|first=Kay Grue|date=24 October 2011|work=Akers Avis Groruddalen|language=Norwegian|accessdate=27 October 2011|url=http://www.groruddalen.no/rocky-er-blitt-voksen.4967308-19209.html}}

Rocky left Fredrikstad FK at the end of the 2018 season.[https://sportshjornet.com/overganger-i-2-divisjon-vinter-2019/ Overganger i 2.divisjon vinter 2019], sportshjornet.com, 9 January 2019 He moved back to Raufoss with his wife and children and signed for Gjøvik-Lyn.{{cite news|title=Rocky er klar til å fyre løs|last=Gullord|first=Tommy|date=6 March 2019|work=Oppland Arbeiderblad|language=Norwegian}}