Nikolay Mihaylov facts for kids
Mihaylov in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikolay Borislavov Mihaylov | ||
| Date of birth | 28 June 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Sofia, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Levski Sofia | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | Levski Sofia | 12 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | → Twente (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Twente | 82 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Hellas Verona | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Mersin İdmanyurdu | 9 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Mersin İdmanyurdu | 29 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Omonia | 10 | (0) |
| 2018–2024 | Levski Sofia | 52 | (0) |
| Total | 216 | (0) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2004–2008 | Bulgaria U21 | 22 | (1) |
| 2006–2022 | Bulgaria | 46 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:16, 26 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:37, 12 June 2022 (UTC) |
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Nikolay Borislavov Mihaylov (born June 28, 1988) is a former professional football player from Bulgaria. He was known for his role as a goalkeeper, a position that requires quick reflexes to stop the other team from scoring.
Contents
A Family of Goalkeepers
Nikolay comes from a family with a strong football history. His father, Borislav Mihaylov, was also a famous goalkeeper and is the second most-capped player for the Bulgarian national team. His grandfather, Biser Mihaylov, was a goalkeeper for the club Levski Sofia back in the 1960s. It's like goalkeeping runs in the family!
His stepmother, Maria Petrova, is a world champion in rhythmic gymnastics.
Club Career Journey
Starting at Levski Sofia
Nikolay began his career at a young age with Levski Sofia, a top team in his home country of Bulgaria. He made his first full 90-minute appearance in a UEFA Cup match when he was only 17 years old.
However, starting so young came with challenges. After a few difficult games, including a tough match in the UEFA Champions League against Werder Bremen in 2006, some fans were critical of his performance.
Moving to Liverpool
In 2007, the famous English club Liverpool signed Nikolay. They saw him as a talented young player who could one day become their main goalkeeper.
However, there was a problem with getting a British work permit, which is a special permission needed to work in the United Kingdom. Because of this, Liverpool decided to loan him to a Dutch club, Twente, for one year. This meant he would play for Twente but was still officially a Liverpool player.
Success with FC Twente
At FC Twente, Nikolay worked hard to prove his talent. Although he didn't play for the first team in his first year, the club saw his potential and extended his loan for another year.
Making His Mark
On August 27, 2008, Nikolay finally made his debut for Twente in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Arsenal. A few days later, he played his first game in the Eredivisie, the top football league in the Netherlands.
A key moment in his career came on July 29, 2009. During a Champions League match against Sporting CP, Twente's starting goalkeeper was sent off. Nikolay came on as a substitute and immediately had to face a penalty kick. He saved it! He made several more amazing saves, helping his team draw the game 0–0.
Becoming a Champion
FC Twente was very impressed with Nikolay's progress. In February 2010, they officially bought him from Liverpool, and he signed a three-year contract.
In the 2010–11 season, he became Twente's number one goalkeeper. He played in the Champions League against big teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan. His great performances helped Twente finish third in their group, which allowed them to continue playing in the UEFA Europa League.
Because of his success, he was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year in 2011. His father had won the same award years before.
Playing in Turkey and Cyprus
After his time at Twente, Nikolay moved to the Turkish club Mersin İdmanyurdu in 2014. In one notable game against the team Fenerbahçe, he saved a penalty kick from the famous player Diego.
In 2017, he had a short spell playing for Omonia in Cyprus.
Return to Levski Sofia
In November 2018, Nikolay returned to where it all began: Levski Sofia. He became the team's first-choice goalkeeper again for a time and continued to play for the club for several more seasons, helping them win the Bulgarian Cup in 2022. He officially retired from professional football in 2024.
International Career
Nikolay also played for his country, Bulgaria. He made his first appearance for the senior national team in May 2006. Over the years, he earned 46 caps, which means he played in 46 official matches for Bulgaria.
He was the main goalkeeper for Bulgaria during the qualifying campaigns for the 2012 European Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Playing for your country is one of the highest honors for a footballer.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cups | Europe | Other | Total | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Levski Sofia | 2004–05 | A Group | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2006–07 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Liverpool | 2007–08 | Premier League | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| Twente (loan) | 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Twente | 2010–11 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | 42 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | – | 40 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | – | 35 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 88 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 | – | 129 | 0 | ||||
| Hellas Verona | 2013–14 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Mersin İdmanyurdu | 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 1. Lig | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 | 0 | |||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 | 0 | ||||
| Omonia | 2017–18 | Cypriot First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Levski Sofia | 2018–19 | Bulgarian First League | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 0 | |||||
| 2021–22 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 29 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 71 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 80 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 216 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 280 | 0 | |||
Honours and Awards
Club Trophies
Levski Sofia
- Bulgarian A Group (League Champions): 2005–06, 2006–07
- Bulgarian Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07, 2021–22
- Bulgarian Supercup: 2005
Twente
- Eredivisie (League Champions): 2009–10
- Johan Cruijff Shield (Dutch Supercup): 2010, 2011
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2011
Individual Awards
- Bulgarian Footballer of the Year: 2011
- Dutch Football Goalkeeper of the Year: 2011
- Bulgarian First League Best Goalkeeper: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Nikolái Mihaylov para niños
