Nikica Jelavić facts for kids
Jelavić with West Ham United in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikica Jelavić | ||
| Date of birth | 27 August 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Čapljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia |
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| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Lokomotiva (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2001 | GOŠK Gabela | ||
| 2001–2002 | Neretva | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2007 | Hajduk Split | 34 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | Zulte Waregem | 23 | (3) |
| 2008–2010 | Rapid Wien | 71 | (27) |
| 2010–2012 | Rangers | 45 | (30) |
| 2012–2014 | Everton | 59 | (16) |
| 2014–2015 | Hull City | 46 | (13) |
| 2015–2016 | West Ham United | 13 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Beijing Renhe | 29 | (15) |
| 2017 | → Guizhou Zhicheng (loan) | 26 | (15) |
| 2018–2020 | Guizhou Zhicheng | 31 | (12) |
| 2020–2021 | Lokomotiva | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 381 | (160) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002 | Croatia U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2003 | Croatia U18 | 2 | |
| 2009–2014 | Croatia | 36 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2025– | Lokomotiva | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nikica Jelavić (born on August 27, 1985) is a Croatian football manager and a former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was usually one of the main goal scorers on the team. Currently, he is the manager of the Croatian Football League club Lokomotiva.
Jelavić started his football journey in 2002 with the Croatian team Hajduk Split. Later, he moved to the Belgian club Zulte Waregem in 2007. A year after that, he joined the Austrian team Rapid Wien. In 2010, he signed with Rangers in Scotland. He had a great first season there, winning the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup.
In January 2012, Jelavić moved to England to play for Everton. Two years later, he joined Hull City. He also played for the Croatian national team from 2009 until he retired from international football in 2014. He represented Croatia in big tournaments like UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Nikica Jelavić's Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Croatia
Nikica Jelavić was born in Čapljina, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. He began his youth football career at his local club, GOŠK Gabela. This team plays in the Bosnian league system. His football path became more serious when he moved to NK Neretva in Croatia.
Playing for Hajduk Split
At 15, Jelavić joined Hajduk Split's junior team. He played his first game for Hajduk's senior team in the Prva HNL when he was 17. During his time at Hajduk, he faced many injuries. These injuries stopped him from playing in more matches. After recovering, he became a regular player in the 2006–07 Prva HNL season. Even though he played the whole season, he only scored five league goals. Because of this, the club decided to let him go at the end of the season.
Time in Belgium with Zulte Waregem
In July 2007, Jelavić signed with Zulte Waregem, a club in the Belgian First Division. He played for one season, 2007–08, and scored three goals in 23 games.
Success with Rapid Wien in Austria
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In July 2008, Jelavić moved to Rapid Wien, the champions of Austria. In the 2008–09 Austrian Football Bundesliga season, he played 34 games and scored seven goals. He did not receive any yellow or red cards that season. In the 2009–10 season, he played 33 games and scored 18 goals. He also scored four goals in the Europa League.
In the summer of 2010, there were talks about Jelavić moving to Rangers. A transfer fee was agreed upon, but there was a delay. This was because Jelavić claimed Rapid Wien owed him money. On August 19, Rapid announced that Jelavić would sign for Rangers. This happened after he said he would not play in a Europa League match for Rapid.
Becoming a Star at Rangers
On August 20, 2010, Jelavić officially joined Rangers for £4 million. He signed a four-year contract. He made his first appearance for Rangers on August 28, 2010, against St Johnstone. Jelavić could not play in Rangers' Champions League games. This was because he had already played for Rapid Wien in the earlier rounds of the Europa League.
On September 11, Jelavić scored his first goal for Rangers. It was a header against Hamilton Academical. He scored two goals in a League Cup game against Dunfermline Athletic. One of these goals was an amazing overhead kick. In the next away game against Aberdeen, Jelavić scored the winning goal in a 3–2 comeback victory. Rangers were losing 2–0 before he scored the third goal.
Soon after, Jelavić got injured in a match against Hearts. He suffered ankle ligament damage. After recovering, he scored his first hat-trick for Rangers in a 6–0 win over Motherwell in February 2011. He also scored the winning goal in extra time in the 2011 Scottish League Cup Final against Celtic. Jelavić finished the 2010–11 season with 19 goals in 27 starts. This was the best goal-to-game ratio in Scotland.
For the 2011–12 season, Jelavić changed his shirt number to 9. In August 2011, Rangers turned down a £6.5 million offer for him from Leicester City. He scored his first European goal for Rangers in a 1–1 draw against Malmö FF in a Champions League qualifying game. Jelavić left Rangers having scored 36 goals in 55 appearances across all competitions.
Moving to Everton
On January 31, 2012, Jelavić signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton. The transfer fee was £5 million. He made his debut a few days later as a substitute against Wigan Athletic. On March 10, 2012, Jelavić scored his first goal for Everton in his first start. It was the only goal in a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. He also scored his first FA Cup goal in a 2–0 win against Sunderland.
Jelavić scored two goals in a 2–2 draw against Norwich City. The following week, he scored in the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. He scored twice in a thrilling 4–4 draw against Manchester United. This made him the first Everton player to score in five away games in a row since 1977–78. He reached ten goals for Everton faster than any player since 1912. Jelavić was named the Premier League Player of the Month for April 2012. He was the first Croatian player to win this award. He finished the season as Everton's top scorer.
Jelavić started the 2012–13 season well, scoring against several teams. However, his form dropped, and Victor Anichebe became Everton's main striker. In the 2013–14 season, Romelu Lukaku was preferred over Jelavić. Jelavić did not score until January, when he got two goals in an FA Cup match. He wanted to play more first-team football before the World Cup. Everton agreed to a transfer bid from Hull City.
Time with Hull City
On January 15, 2014, Jelavić joined Hull City. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. He made his debut for Hull on January 18, 2014, against Norwich City. He scored his first goal for Hull in a 2–0 win against Sunderland. He scored two more goals in a 4–0 away win at Cardiff City. He finished his first season at Hull with four goals in 16 Premier League games.
In Hull's first European season, Jelavić returned early from the 2014 World Cup. This was because his strike partner Shane Long was sold. He played as a substitute in three of Hull's Europa League matches. In the Premier League, Jelavić started the season strongly. He scored three goals in Hull's first five matches.
Playing for West Ham United
On September 1, 2015, Jelavić signed a two-year contract with West Ham United. He also had an option for two more years. He made his West Ham debut on September 19, coming on as a substitute against Manchester City. He scored his first goal for the club in an FA Cup game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 9, 2016.
Adventures in Chinese Football
On February 15, 2016, Jelavić moved to China. He joined the China League One team Beijing Renhe. In February 2017, he was loaned to Guizhou Zhicheng for one year. He then made a permanent transfer to Guizhou Zhicheng on December 4, 2017.
Return to Croatia with Lokomotiva
On August 31, 2020, Jelavić joined Lokomotiva in Croatia. On March 1, 2021, Lokomotiva's coach announced that Jelavić and his teammate Sammir had decided to end their professional playing careers. The club respected their decisions.
Nikica Jelavić's International Career
In 2007, Jelavić was called up to the Croatia squad. This was for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers. However, he did not play in any of those matches. Jelavić finally made his full international debut on October 8, 2009. It was a friendly match against Qatar. He came on as a substitute and scored his first international goal. This goal secured a 3–2 win for Croatia. On October 14, 2009, he played his first competitive international game. This was a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan.
In 2010, he played in five international matches. He scored a goal in a 1–1 friendly draw against Slovakia.
Jelavić was chosen for Croatia's Euro 2012 squad. He scored his first competitive international goal in their first group stage match. This goal helped Croatia win 3–1 against Republic of Ireland. He also played in Croatia's group matches against Italy and Spain. Croatia was eliminated after the group stage.
Jelavić played in Croatia's first qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Macedonia. He later scored in a friendly match against South Korea in February 2013.
In the opening match of the 2014 World Cup on June 12, against hosts Brazil, he was involved in the first goal of the tournament. A cross from Ivica Olić hit him and was then deflected by an opponent for an own goal. Croatia eventually lost that match 3–1.
On October 11, 2014, Jelavić announced his retirement from international football. He was not happy with his role in the national team at that time.
Nikica Jelavić's Personal Life
Nikica Jelavić is married to Dajana Jelavić. They started dating when he was 17 years old. Together, they have two daughters.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hajduk Split | 2002–03 | Prva HNL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | Prva HNL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Prva HNL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Prva HNL | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | ||
| 2006–07 | Prva HNL | 22 | 5 | 4 | 2 | – | – | 26 | 7 | |||
| Total | 34 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 10 | ||
| Zulte Waregem | 2007–08 | Belgian First Division | 23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 25 | 4 | ||
| Rapid Wien | 2008–09 | Austrian Bundesliga | 34 | 7 | 3 | 1 | – | 2 | 0 | 39 | 8 | |
| 2009–10 | Austrian Bundesliga | 33 | 18 | 3 | 2 | – | 12 | 9 | 48 | 29 | ||
| 2010–11 | Austrian Bundesliga | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | ||
| Total | 71 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 13 | 95 | 43 | ||
| Rangers | 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 23 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 19 |
| 2011–12 | Scottish Premier League | 22 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 17 | |
| Total | 45 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 56 | 36 | ||
| Everton | 2011–12 | Premier League | 13 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 | 11 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 37 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 43 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 | 2 | ||
| Total | 59 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 21 | ||
| Hull City | 2013–14 | Premier League | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 8 | |
| 2015–16 | Championship | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | ||
| Total | 46 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 13 | ||
| West Ham United | 2015–16 | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 | 2 | |
| Beijing Renhe | 2016 | China League One | 29 | 15 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 29 | 15 | ||
| Guizhou Zhicheng (loan) | 2017 | Chinese Super League | 26 | 15 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 15 | ||
| Guizhou Zhicheng | 2018 | Chinese Super League | 18 | 5 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 5 | ||
| 2019 | China League One | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 7 | |||
| Total | 31 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 12 | ||
| Lokomotiva | 2020–21 | Prva HNL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Career total | 381 | 160 | 31 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 14 | 444 | 171 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2009 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 36 | 6 | |
- Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jelavić goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 October 2009 | Kantrida Stadium, Rijeka, Croatia |  Qatar |
3-2 | 3-2 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 11 August 2010 | Štadión Pasienky, Bratislava, Slovakia |  Slovakia |
1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 10 June 2012 | Poznań Stadium, Poznań, Poland |  Republic of Ireland |
2-1 | 3-1 | UEFA Euro 2012 | |
| 4 | 7 September 2012 | Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia |  North Macedonia |
1-0 | 1-0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 5 | 6 February 2013 | Craven Cottage, London, United Kingdom |  South Korea |
3-0 | 4-0 | Friendly | |
| 6 | 6 June 2014 | Estádio Governador Roberto Santos, Salvador, Brazil |  Australia |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Hajduk Split
- Prva HNL: 2003–04
- Croatian Cup: 2002–03
Rangers
- Scottish Premier League: 2010–11
- Scottish League Cup: 2010–11
Individual Awards
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 2012
See also
In Spanish: Nikica Jelavić para niños
