Ragnar Klavan facts for kids
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Klavan lining up for Liverpool in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ragnar Klavan | ||
| Date of birth | 30 October 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Viljandi, Estonia | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tulevik | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2002 | Elva | 31 | (11) |
| 2002–2003 | Tulevik | 28 | (2) |
| 2003–2005 | Flora | 28 | (2) |
| 2004–2005 | → Vålerenga (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2005–2009 | Heracles Almelo | 95 | (4) |
| 2009 | → AZ (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | AZ | 66 | (0) |
| 2012–2016 | FC Augsburg | 125 | (4) |
| 2016–2018 | Liverpool | 39 | (1) |
| 2018–2021 | Cagliari | 61 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Paide Linnameeskond | 21 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | JK Tallinna Kalev | 22 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 1999 | Estonia U15 | 4 | (0) |
| 2001 | Estonia U17 | 9 | (0) |
| 2002 | Estonia U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2003 | Estonia U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2002–2006 | Estonia U21 | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2024 | Estonia | 130 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 March 2024 |
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Ragnar Klavan, born on October 30, 1985, is a famous Estonian former football player. He was a strong defender, often playing as a centre-back or left-back. Many people consider him one of Estonia's best footballers ever.
Klavan started his career in Estonia with clubs like Elva, Tulevik, and Flora. He won the Meistriliiga, Estonia's top league, with Flora in 2003. Later, he moved to the Netherlands, playing for Heracles Almelo and AZ. With AZ, he won the Eredivisie, the top Dutch league, in the 2008–09 season.
In 2012, Klavan joined FC Augsburg in Germany, playing four seasons in the Bundesliga. His big move came in 2016 when he signed with Premier League club Liverpool for about €5 million. In 2018, he moved to Italy to play for Serie A team Cagliari. He returned to Estonia in 2021 to play for Paide Linnameeskond and finished his career with Kalev in 2024.
Ragnar Klavan first played for the Estonian national team in 2003. He became the team's captain in 2012. In 2015, he reached 100 games for Estonia, becoming one of only a few players to do so. He is currently the fifth most-capped player for his country. Klavan has won the Estonian Footballer of the Year award a record seven times, showing how important he was to Estonian football.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Ragnar Klavan was born in Viljandi, Estonia, on October 30, 1985. His parents are Tiina and Dzintar Klavan. Ragnar's father was also a professional footballer who played as a midfielder for the Estonian national team.
Ragnar started playing football as a midfielder, just like his dad. He once said that the famous French player Zinedine Zidane was his inspiration.
Club Career Highlights
Ragnar Klavan played for many different clubs throughout his career. He started in Estonia and then moved to play in the Netherlands, Germany, England, and Italy.
Starting in Estonia
Klavan began his football journey with his hometown team, Tulevik. He made his first senior league appearance on April 8, 2001, for Tulevik's reserve team, Elva. He even scored the winning goal in that game!
In 2002, at just 16 years old, he joined Tulevik's main team and played his first game in the Meistriliiga. While at Tulevik, he had a tryout with the English club Sunderland, but he didn't get a contract.
In July 2003, Klavan moved to another Meistriliiga club, Flora. He scored in his very first game for Flora. That same year, he helped Flora win the Meistriliiga title in the 2003 season.
Loan to Vålerenga
In August 2004, Klavan went on a three-month loan to Vålerenga, a club in Norway. He played his first game in the Tippeligaen, Norway's top league, in September 2004. His loan was later extended for another year.
Playing in the Netherlands
On August 4, 2005, Klavan signed a three-year contract with Heracles Almelo in the Eredivisie, the top league in the Netherlands. He made his debut for Heracles on August 13, 2005. He scored his first goal for the club in December 2006.
In January 2009, Klavan joined AZ on loan. He later signed a permanent four-year contract with AZ. He helped AZ win the Eredivisie title in the 2008–09 season.
On September 29, 2009, Ragnar Klavan made history. He became the first Estonian player to play in the UEFA Champions League group stage. He scored his first goal for AZ in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match in July 2010.
Time in Germany with FC Augsburg
On July 2, 2012, Klavan moved to Germany and signed with FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga. He quickly became a regular player for the team, playing as a key centre-back.
He scored his first Bundesliga goal in March 2014. In the 2014–15 season, Klavan played every single minute of every league game. FC Augsburg finished fifth in the league, which was their highest position ever. This also meant they qualified for the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.
Joining Liverpool in England
On July 20, 2016, Klavan signed a three-year contract with Premier League club Liverpool. The transfer fee of €5 million made him the most expensive Estonian footballer ever at that time. He was given the number 17 shirt.
Klavan made his Premier League debut on August 14, 2016, in a thrilling 4–3 win against Arsenal. He scored his first goal for Liverpool in September 2016 in a cup game. In December 2016, he was named "man of the match" for his great performance in the Merseyside derby against Everton.
On January 1, 2018, Klavan became the first Estonian player to score a goal in the Premier League. He scored the winning goal in injury time against Burnley. He also played in eight games during Liverpool's run to the Champions League final in 2018.
Moving to Italy and Back to Estonia
In August 2018, Klavan signed a two-year contract with Italian club Cagliari in Serie A. He played 61 games in Serie A over three seasons.
On July 1, 2021, Klavan returned to Estonia after 17 years abroad. He signed with Meistriliiga club Paide Linnameeskond. He scored two goals in one of his first games back in Estonia.
On July 17, 2023, Klavan joined Tallinna Kalev, a club he had been the president of since 2016. He played his last professional football game on November 30, 2024, helping Kalev win a play-off match.
Retirement from Football
On December 10, 2024, Ragnar Klavan announced that he was retiring from professional football. He also announced that he would run for president of the Estonian Football Association. In the election held on June 19, 2025, he received 34 votes but lost to the current president, Aivar Pohlak.
International Career for Estonia
Ragnar Klavan started playing for Estonia's youth national teams in 1999, beginning with the under-15 team. He played for the under-17, under-18, under-20, and under-21 teams, making 22 appearances in total.
He made his debut for the senior Estonian national team on July 3, 2003, when he was just 17 years old. He scored his first international goal in a friendly game against New Zealand on May 31, 2006.
In October 2008, Klavan played his 50th game for the national team. On February 29, 2012, he captained Estonia for the first time and scored a goal in that game. Later in 2012, he officially became Estonia's captain, taking over from Raio Piiroja.
On March 27, 2015, Klavan played his 100th game for Estonia. This is a big achievement for any footballer. He has been named Estonian Footballer of the Year a record seven times: in 2012, and then every year from 2014 to 2019.
Personal Life
Ragnar Klavan married Lili Orel on June 10, 2011. They have two sons named Romer and Ronan.
In May 2016, Klavan became the president of the Estonian football club Tallinna Kalev.
In 2023, Ragnar Klavan was the spokesperson for Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 grand final. He announced Estonia's jury points from the city of Liverpool, where the contest was held.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Elva | 2001 | Esiliiga | 25 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 5 | |||
| 2002 | Esiliiga | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 11 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 11 | |||||
| Tulevik | 2002 | Meistriliiga | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2003 | Meistriliiga | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 2 | |||||
| Flora | 2003 | Meistriliiga | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2004 | Meistriliiga | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| Total | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | |||
| Vålerenga (loan) | 2004 | Tippeligaen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2005 | Tippeligaen | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Heracles Almelo | 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 1 | ||||
| 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 29 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 33 | 3 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 95 | 4 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 104 | 5 | ||||
| AZ (loan) | 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| AZ | 2009–10 | Eredivisie | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Eredivisie | 28 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | — | 39 | 2 | |||
| 2011–12 | Eredivisie | 27 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |||
| Total | 78 | 0 | 9 | 2 | — | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 3 | |||
| FC Augsburg | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 2 | ||||
| 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 34 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||||
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | |||
| Total | 125 | 4 | 9 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 140 | 4 | ||||
| Liverpool | 2016–17 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| Total | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | 53 | 2 | |||
| Cagliari | 2018–19 | Serie A | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 62 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 64 | 0 | |||||
| Paide Linnameeskond | 2021 | Meistriliiga | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 2 | |||
| 2022 | Meistriliiga | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 17 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 504 | 27 | 41 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 587 | 32 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | 2003 | 5 | 0 |
| 2004 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 130 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Estonia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Klavan goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 May 2006 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 27 |  New Zealand |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 29 February 2012 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States | 76 |  El Salvador |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 26 May 2014 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 92 |  Gibraltar |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
Ragnar Klavan won several titles and awards during his football career.
Flora
- Meistriliiga: 2003
AZ
- Eredivisie: 2008–09
Liverpool
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2017–18 (This means they reached the final but didn't win)
Paide Linnameeskond
- Estonian Cup: 2021–22
Individual Awards
- Estonian Footballer of the Year: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 (He won this award a record seven times!)
See also
In Spanish: Ragnar Klavan para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
