Zymer Bytyqi

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Zymer Bytyqi
File:Zymer Bytyqi.JPG
Personal information
Full name Zymer Bytyqi
Date of birth (1996-09-11) 11 September 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Sint-Truiden, Belgium[1]
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Viking
Number 11
Youth career
0000–2009 Lura IL
2010–2011 Sandnes Ulf
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012 Sandnes Ulf 5 (0)
2013–2014 Red Bull Salzburg 0 (0)
2013–2014 → Sandnes Ulf (loan) 22 (0)
2015– Viking 24 (4)
International career‡
2011 Norway U15 3 (1)
2012 Norway U16 4 (1)
2014- Kosovo 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 April 2016
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 04 May 2016

Zymer Bytyqi (born 11 September 1996) is a Kosovar footballer who plays for Viking in Tippeligaen. He previously played for Sandnes Ulf and Red Bull Salzburg, and became the youngest player that has ever played in the Norwegian top league when he made his first-team debut in 2012 (the record has since been broken by Martin Ødegaard). Bytyqi, who is of Albanian descent, has represented Norway at youth international level and Kosovo at a senior international level.

Career

Bytyqi was born in Belgium to Kosovar immigrants, but moved to Norway at the age of 2.[2] He did not play football before he was 10 years old,[3] when he started to play for Lura IL before he moved to Sandnes Ulf ahead of the 2010 season.[4] In 2011 he played several matches for Sandnes Ulf's reserve team in the Third Division. He also trained with the first team but was ineligible for play in the First Division because of his young age.[5] He gave an impressive performance for Norway U15 in September 2011, partly by scoring the winning goal in one of the matches,[6] and joined Newcastle United on a week-long trial in October 2011. His agent, Jim Solbakken, stated that despite the interest from bigger clubs, it would be best for Bytyqi's development to stay at Sandnes Ulf.[6][7]

Bytyqi signed a professional one-year contract with Sandnes Ulf in January 2012, and head coach Asle Andersen said that he had never seen such a talented striker,[5] and that he would get his chance in Tippeligaen, following Sandnes Ulf' promotion to the top league.[2] Bytyqi played for Sandnes Ulf during their pre-season,[8] and he also scored a goal in the 6–0 win against Randaberg.[4] After a very solid game for Norway U16 in April 2012, Sandnes Ulf's Director Tom Rune Espedal confirmed interest from English, German and Dutch clubs, but that no club had yet made an offer for Bytyqi, and that they most likely would sell the talented player during the summer. Bytyqi stated that his big dream was to play professionally abroad, but that he wouldn't leave Norway without his family.[2]

When Sandnes Ulf's forwards Tommy Høiland, Vetle Myhre and Gilles Mbang Ondo was out with injury,[8][9] Bytyqi was included in the squad for the match against Haugesund on 28 May 2012,[9] and made his debut for Sandnes Ulf when he came on as a substitute in the 77th minute. This made him the youngest player in the top league of Norway, aged 15 years, 261 days, beating Sverre Økland's (aged 16 years and 1 day) old record from 2009.[3][9][10] The record was broken on 13 April 2015, when Martin Ødegaard made his debut for Strømsgodset aged 15 years and 118 days.[11]

In August 2012, Bytyqi was called up for the Norwegian U16-team, a decision that neither Sandnes Ulf or the player was happy about, as Bytyqi could have played the league-game against Lillestrøm and even made his first appearance in the starting line-up due to injuries.[12]

Bytyqi signed a three-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg on 23 August 2012, and joined Norwegians Valon Berisha and Håvard Nielsen in the clubs first-team squad in January 2013. According to Norwegian TV2 Sandnes Ulf received NOK 5M for Bytyqi.[13]

On 6 January 2015, Bytyqi signed a three-year contract with Viking.[14]

International

Although Bytyqi has been part of the Norway U16, he has declared to the Albanian media that since he has an Albanian ethnic background, if he receives a call-up from the Albanian Association of Football, he will give up representing Norway in order to be part of Albania.[15]

Bytyqi accepted a callup to the Kosovo national football team, and made his debut in a historic first FIFA sanctioned match in a 0-0 tie with Haiti.[16]

Career statistics

As of 3 April 2016[1]
Season Club Division League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2012 Sandnes Ulf Tippeligaen 5 0 0 0 5 0
2013 15 0 1 0 16 0
2014 7 0 1 0 8 0
2015 Viking 21 4 2 1 23 5
2016 3 0 0 0 3 0
Career Total 51 4 4 1 55 5

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://www.norway-kosovo.no/ARKIV/Historical-match-Kosovo--Haiti-/#.VyrCY_mDGko
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