Nikica Jelavić facts for kids
Jelavić with West Ham United in 2015
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikica Jelavić | ||
| Date of birth | 27 August 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Čapljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia |
||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| 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 | (0) |
| 2009–2014 | Croatia | 36 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nikica Jelavić (born August 27, 1985) is a former professional footballer from Croatia. He played as a forward, which means he was usually at the front of the team, trying to score goals.
Jelavić started his football journey in Croatia with Hajduk Split in 2002. He then played for clubs in Belgium and Austria before joining Rangers in Scotland in 2010. With Rangers, he won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup. Later, he moved to England, playing for Everton and Hull City. Jelavić also played for the Croatian national team from 2009 to 2014, representing his country in big tournaments like UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Nikica Jelavić's Club Career Highlights
Nikica Jelavić was born in Čapljina, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. He began his youth football career at a local club called GOŠK Gabela. Later, he moved to NK Neretva in Croatia, where his talent started to shine.
Playing for Hajduk Split
Jelavić joined Hajduk Split when he was 15 years old. He made his first appearance for the senior team at just 17. During his time at Hajduk, he faced many injuries. However, he worked hard to recover and became a regular player in the 2006–07 season.
Moving to Zulte Waregem and Rapid Wien
In July 2007, Jelavić moved to Belgium to play for Zulte Waregem. He spent one season there before joining Rapid Wien, a top club in Austria, in July 2008.
.jpg)
At Rapid Wien, Jelavić became a key player. In the 2009–10 season, he scored 18 goals in 33 league games. He also scored four goals in the Europa League. His great performances caught the attention of bigger clubs.
Success with Rangers
On August 20, 2010, Jelavić joined Rangers in Scotland for about £4 million. He quickly became a fan favorite.
- He scored his first Rangers goal against Hamilton Academical on September 11.
- He scored two goals, including an amazing overhead kick, in a 7–2 win against Dunfermline Athletic in the League Cup.
- Jelavić scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) for Rangers in a big 6–0 win over Motherwell in February 2011.
- He scored the winning goal in extra time against Celtic in the 2011 Scottish League Cup Final, helping Rangers win the trophy.
- He finished the 2010–11 season as one of the best strikers in Scotland, helping Rangers win the Scottish Premier League title.
Playing in the Premier League with Everton
On January 31, 2012, Jelavić signed with Everton in England's top league, the Premier League, for £5 million.
- He scored his first goal for Everton in his first start, helping them win 1–0 against Tottenham Hotspur.
- He scored two goals in a 4–4 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
- Jelavić was named the Premier League Player of the Month for April 2012, which was a big achievement.
- He finished the 2011–12 season as Everton's top scorer.
- In the 2012–13 season, he continued to score important goals for Everton.
Time at Hull City and West Ham United
In January 2014, Jelavić moved to Hull City. He scored four goals in his first half-season there. In the 2014–15 season, he started well, scoring three goals in Hull's first five matches.
On September 1, 2015, Jelavić signed with West Ham United. He scored his first goal for the club in an FA Cup match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2016.
Playing in China
In February 2016, Jelavić moved to China, joining Beijing Renhe. He later played for Guizhou Zhicheng, first on loan and then permanently. He scored many goals during his time in China.
Finishing his Career at Lokomotiva
Jelavić returned to Croatia in August 2020, joining Lokomotiva. In March 2021, he decided to end his professional football career.
Nikica Jelavić's International Career
Nikica Jelavić played for the Croatian national team from 2009 to 2014.
- He made his first international appearance and scored his first goal in a friendly match against Qatar in October 2009, helping Croatia win 3–2.
- Jelavić was part of Croatia's squad for UEFA Euro 2012. He scored his first goal in a major tournament against Republic of Ireland, helping Croatia win 3–1.
- He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In the opening match against hosts Brazil, he was involved in Croatia's first goal of the tournament.
- In October 2014, Jelavić announced his retirement from international football.
Personal Life
Nikica Jelavić is married to Dajana Jelavić. They started dating when he was 17 years old and have two daughters together.
Career Statistics
Here are some statistics about Nikica Jelavić's career, showing how many games he played and goals he scored for different clubs and for his national team.
Club
| 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
| 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 |
Honours and Awards
Nikica Jelavić won several trophies and received individual awards during his football career:
Hajduk Split
- Prva HNL: 2003–04
- Croatian Cup: 2002–03
Rangers
- Scottish Premier League: 2010–11
- Scottish League Cup: 2010–11
Individual
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 2012
See also
In Spanish: Nikica Jelavić para niños
