Yeshi Dorji
{{short description|Bhutanese professional footballer (born 2001)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Yeshi Dorji Wangdi
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| fullname = Yeshi Dorji Wangdi
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|10|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Thimphu, Bhutan
| height = {{height|m=1.69}}
| position = Centre forward
| currentclub = North Brisbane FC
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2014–2017
| youthclubs1 = Druk Stars
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 =
| years1 = 2018–2020
| clubs1 = Ugyen Academy
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 2020–2024
| clubs2 = Paro
| caps2 = 31
| goals2 = 36
| nationalyears1 = 2019
| nationalteam1 = Bhutan U18
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2019–2021
| nationalteam2 = Bhutan U20
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears3 = 2019–
| nationalteam3 = Bhutan U23
| nationalcaps3 = 5
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| nationalyears4 = 2019–
| nationalteam4 = Bhutan
| nationalcaps4 = 4
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| ntupdate = 22 June 2023
}}
Yeshi Dorji Wangdi (born 10 October 2001) is a Bhutanese professional footballer, Who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for North Brisbane FC in Australia and as a Centre Forward for the Bhutan national team.{{Cite web|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/yeshi-dorji/320556/|title=Yeshi Dorji - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive|website=globalsportsarchive.com|access-date=2022-06-19|archive-date=2022-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619185334/https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/yeshi-dorji/320556/|url-status=live}}
Club career
Yeshi represented High Quality United during their 2020 Bhutan Super League triumph and received Nu 10,000 for being the highest goal scorer. He joined Paro FC for the Premier League phase and scored 8 goals in 10 games. Yeshi won the 2021 Bhutan Premier League with Paro and received the Bhutan Premier League Top Scorer Award along the way with 23 goals from 17 games.{{Cite web|url=https://kuenselonline.com/paro-fc-are-champions/|title=Paro FC are champions|website=Kuensel Online|access-date=2023-05-25|archive-date=2023-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525140756/https://kuenselonline.com/paro-fc-are-champions/|url-status=live}}
In January 2020, Yeshi signed a contract with a German football agency, TF Sports, and had a successful trial with VfB Fichte Bielefeld in the Landesliga Westfalen (VII) (Germany sixth division). He was about to become the first Bhutanese to play in Europe but had to return home because of a visa issue and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan. In 2021, he received an offer to play on trial in the Cypriot Second Division, but eventually turned it down due to the travel restrictions during COVID 19.{{Cite web|url=https://kuenselonline.com/a-rising-national-football-player/|title=A rising national football player|website=Kuensel Online|access-date=2022-06-19|archive-date=2022-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625134603/https://kuenselonline.com/a-rising-national-football-player/|url-status=live}}
International career
At the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, Yeshi scored as Bhutan snatched a surprising 2–1 victory over Bangladesh. He scored against Nepal in the 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship, as Bhutan trashed the hosts 3–0. Yeshi was one of the key players in the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal where Bhutan won the silver medal. During the tournament he struck a goal against Sri Lanka in a 3–1 victory.{{Cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/bhutan-stun-nepal-enter-semi-finals|title=Bhutan stun Nepal, enter semi-finals|first=Nishant|last=Pokhrel|date=September 23, 2019|website=The Himalayan Times|access-date=March 30, 2023|archive-date=March 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330122813/https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/bhutan-stun-nepal-enter-semi-finals|url-status=live}}
He made his first appearance for the Bhutan national team in 2019 against Guam during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and became the only footballer in the country to play all youth levels and make his senior national team debut in only 149 days.
Career statistics
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan=3| Bhutan | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| Total||3||0 |
=Youth international goals=
Scores and results list Bhutan's goal tally first.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"
! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition | ||||||
| 1. | 22 September 2019 | APF Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal | {{fbu|20|NEP}} | align=center|1–0 | align=center| 3–0 | 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship |
| 2. | 10 November 2019 | Khalifa Sports City Stadium, Manama, Bahrain | {{fbu|20|BAN}} | align=center|1–1 | align=center| 2–1 | 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualification |
| 3. | 7 December 2019 | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal | {{fbu|20|SRI}} | align=center|3–0 | align=center| 3–0 | 2019 South Asian Games |
| colspan="7"|Last updated 30 March 2023 |