Stefan Ljubicic
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Stefan Alexander Ljubičić | ||
Date of birth | 5 October 1999 | ||
Place of birth | Keflavík, Iceland | ||
Height | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Skövde AIK | ||
Number | 26 | ||
Youth career | |||
Keflavík | |||
2016–2019 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2016 | Keflavík | 3 | (0) |
2018–2019 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | (0) |
2018 | → Bognor Regis Town (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2019 | → Eastbourne Borough (loan) | 11 | (1) |
2019 | Grindavík | 8 | (1) |
2020 | Riga | 0 | (0) |
2020–2021 | HK | 33 | (7) |
2022–2023 | KR Reykjavík | 18 | (2) |
2023–2024 | Keflavík | 19 | (3) |
2024– | Skövde AIK | 26 | (0) |
International career | |||
2015 | Iceland U16 | 3 | (0) |
2016 | Iceland U17 | 5 | (1) |
2017 | Iceland U19 | 5 | (3) |
2018 | Iceland U21 | 4 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024 |
Stefan Alexander Ljubičić (born 5 October 1999) is an Icelandic professional footballer of Serbian descent who plays as a forward for Swedish Superettan club Skövde AIK.
Club career
[edit]Brighton & Hove Albion
[edit]After 16-year old Ljubičić had played three games for Keflavík and several games for the youth national teams, he went on a trial at English club Norwich in October 2015 and later at Scottish club Celtic in January 2016.[1][2]
However, after yet another trial, this time at Brighton & Hove Albion where he scored a goal and played very well in a friendly game against Chelsea's youth team, it was confirmed by the players agent and Keflavík, that Ljubičić had accepted a three-year offer from the club.[3] He would join the club in the summer 2016.[4]
Ljubičić played for Brighton's U18 and U23 teams. In February 2018, he was loaned out to Bognor Regis Town until the end of the season.[5] In January 2019, he was loaned out to Eastbourne Borough until the end of April 2019.[6][7] However, it was confirmed in May 2019, that Ljubičić had been released.[8]
He played a total of 35 games and 12 goals for Brighton's U18 team and 8 games for the U23 team.
Grindavík
[edit]After being released by Brighton, Ljubičić returned to Grindavík in July 2019.[9] He made eight appearances and scored one goal for the club.
Riga FC
[edit]At the beginning of November, Ljubičić joined the training camp of Latvian club Riga FC in Cyprus. He played a friendly game for the team against Pafos FC where he scored a goal. He then signed officially for the club at the end of the month.[10] However, before playing any official games for the club, the cooperation was terminated by mutual agreement on 26 May 2020.[11] Ljubičić had had a few minor injuries, which prevented him from playing.[12]
HK
[edit]On 15 June 2020, Ljubičić signed a three-year deal with Icelandic club Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs.[13] He scored his first goal for HK on 28 August the same year.[14] After HK was relegated for the 2022 season, Ljubičić left the club at the end of 2021.
KR Reykjavík
[edit]On 19 October 2021 it was confirmed, that Ljubičić would join KR Reykjavík for the 2022 season.[15]
Return to Keflavík
[edit]In April 2023, Ljubicic moved to Keflavík: a club he also played for in 2015–16.[16]
Skövde AIK
[edit]On 30 March 2024, Ljubicic joined Skövde AIK in Swedish second-tier Superettan on a two-year contract.[17]
Personal life
[edit]Stefan is the son of Bosnian Serb refugee Zoran Ljubičić, former Icelandic football player and coach.[18] His older brother, Bojan Stefan Ljubičić, is also a footballer. In his youth, Stefan played basketball for Keflavík ÍF for four years and was a member of the Icelandic junior national basketball teams.[19][20]
References
[edit]- ^ Víðir Sigurðsson (3 October 2015). "Stefan til reynslu hjá Norwich". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ "Stefan til reynslu hjá Celtic". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ "Stefan Ljubicic til Brighton". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 23 February 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ Stefan Alexander Ljubicic til Brighton & Hove Albion (Staðfest), fotbolti.net, 23 February 2016
- ^ Rocks swoop for striker Stefan, bognorregispost.co.uk, 2 February 2018
- ^ Highly-rated young Brighton striker signs for Eastbourne Borough, eastbourneherald.co.uk, 31 January 2019
- ^ Brian Owen (11 March 2019). "Why Stefan Ljubicic is getting top tips from Mark McGhee". The Argus (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ Five Under-23 Players Retained For 2019/20 Season, brightonandhovealbion.com, 14 May 2019
- ^ Ástrós Ýr Eggertsdóttir (27 July 2019). "Stefan Ljubicic til Grindavíkur". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ LATVIJAS ČEMPIONIEM "RIGA FC" PIEVIENOJAS ISLANDES UZBRUCĒJS ĻUBIČIČS, sportacentrs.com, 29 November 2019
- ^ STARPSEZONĀ NOLĪGTAIS ISLANDES UZBRUCĒJS ĻUBIČIČS UN "RIGA" PĀRTRAUC SADARBĪBU, sportacentrs.com, 26 May 2020
- ^ Sæbjörn Þór Þórbergsson Steinke (18 April 2021). "Stefan Ljubicic: Ég er tæpir 2 metrar, hvað á ég að gera á kantinum?". Fótbolti.net (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Victor Pálsson (15 June 2020). "Stefan Ljubicic til HK". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (28 August 2020). "Hann hefur greinilega unnið vel í sínum málum og er á mun betri stað í dag". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ „Samkeppnin gerir mig betri“, mbl.is, 19 October 2021
- ^ KEFLAVÍK KAUPIR STEFAN LJUBICIC (STAÐFEST), fotbolti.net, 5 April 2023
- ^ "Varmt välkommen till Skövde AIK, Stefan Ljubicic" [A warm welcome to Skövde AIK, Stefan Ljubicic] (in Swedish). Skövde AIK. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Hafliði Breiðfjörð (8 February 2020). "Stefan Ljubicic er langyngstur hjá lettnesku meisturunum". Fótbolti.net (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ "England er hjarta fótboltans". Víkurfréttir (in Icelandic). 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ Sæbjörn Þór Þórbergsson Steinke (19 April 2021). "Vann titilinn og var í körfuboltalandsliðinu - "Pabbi hefði ekki verið ánægður"". Fótbolti.net (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 April 2021.
External links
[edit]- Stefan Ljubicic at the Football Association of Iceland (in Icelandic)
- Stefan Ljubicic at Soccerway
- 1999 births
- Sportspeople from Keflavík
- Living people
- Icelandic people with family names
- Icelandic men's footballers
- Iceland men's youth international footballers
- Iceland men's under-21 international footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík players
- Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
- Bognor Regis Town F.C. players
- Eastbourne Borough F.C. players
- Grindavík men's football players
- Riga FC players
- Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs players
- Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur players
- Skövde AIK players
- Úrvalsdeild karla (football) players
- National League (English football) players
- Superettan players
- Icelandic expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Icelandic expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Latvia
- Icelandic expatriate sportspeople in Latvia
- Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden
- Icelandic expatriate sportspeople in Sweden
- 21st-century Icelandic sportsmen