Kaspars Gorkšs

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Kaspars Gorkšs
Personal information
Date of birth November 6, 1981 (1981-11-06) (age 26)
Place of birth    Riga, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current club Blackpool
Number 17
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1997-2003
2002-2005
2005
2006
2007-		 FK Auda
Östers IF
Assyriska Föreningen
FK Ventspils
Blackpool		 77 (9)
32 (1)
23 (0)
28 (5)
50 (6)   
National team2
 ????-2006
2006-		 Latvia U-21
Latvia		 0? (?)
010 (2)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 02:46, 8 May 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 17:30, 2 June 2008 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Kaspars Gorkšs (born 6 November 1981 in Riga) is a Latvian football defender currently playing for English club Blackpool. He is also a regular with the Latvia national team.

Contents

[edit] Club career

Gorkšs began his career at FK Auda, scoring 9 goals in 77 appearances. After a week long trial he joined Swedish club, Östers IF in December 2002, playing in the Allsvenskan, the Swedish top flight.[1] He moved to Assyriska Föreningen in 2005, who were then in the Allsvenskan. He moved back to Latvia in 2006 signing for FK Ventspils[2] and he scored 5 goals for Ventspils in the clubs Championship winning 2006 Virslīga season[3] He also played for Ventspils in the second qualifying round of the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, against English Premier League club Newcastle United.[4] and

Gorkšs joined Blackpool on 1 January 2007,[5] On 20 August 2007, Gorkšs was named in the Press Association's The Championship "Team of the Week".[6] Eight days later, Gorkšs scored his first goals for Blackpool in a League Cup second-round tie at Derby County. The Latvian's two goals were both equalisers — one in normal time and one in extra time — in a game that went to a penalty-shootout, won by Blackpool 7-6.[7] On 1 October Gorkšs was again named in the Press Association's The Championship "Team of the Week".[8]

Gorkšs scored his first league goal for Blackpool in their 1-0 victory over Scunthorpe United at Bloomfield Road on 10 November 2007.[9][10] On 29 December 2007 he was named as runner-up in the annual Latvian Player of the Year Awards by the Latvian Football Federation behind the winner, Vitālijs Astafjevs of Skonto.[11] He was named in The Championship "Team of the Week" for a third time on 25 February 2008, alongside teammate Stephen McPhee[12] and again on 10 March[13] He was named as the Yorkshire Seasiders Player of the Year on 6 May[14] and the following day Blackpool activated an option to extend his contract with the club by one year.[15] Following the season, his first full season in English football in which he had become a regular in the Blackpool side and scored seven goals, Gorkšs was linked with moves to various clubs including Scottish Premier League club Rangers, as well as fellow Championship clubs Burnley, Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Preston North End and Watford; however, he dismissed the moves as just rumours, stating, "From my point of view it's just a case of carrying on and seeing what happens, that's all I can really do."[16] On 29 May both he and fellow Blackpool player Wes Hoolahan were linked with a move to Norwich City. [17]

[edit] International career

Gorkšs has played for the Latvian Under-21 team[1] and he made his debut for Latvia in 2006. On 11 October 2006, in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Northern Ireland, Gorkšs started the second half in place of Māris Smirnovs.[18] In February 2007 he played for Latvia in the in the annual Cyprus International Football Tournament. On 6 February, he played the full 90 minutes of Latvia's 2-0 defeat by Bulgaria in the semi finals of the tournament. And the following day he played in the third place play off match against Hungary which they also lost 2-0.[19][20] On 28 March, 2007, Gorkšs played for Latvia in their 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifer 1-0 defeat by Liechtenstein.[21] On 22 August, 2007, Gorkšs played for Latvia in their friendly 2-1 defeat in Riga by Moldova. [22] He scored his first goal for Latvia on 17 October, 2007, against Denmark.[15] His second international goal came in the 2008 Baltic Cup against Lithuania on 1 June 2008, which Latvia won 2–1 to win the Baltic Cup.[15]

[edit] Personal life

Gorkšs lives in Lytham St Annes and has two children.[10] His first child, a daughter, was born in 2005 and his second child, a son, Patriks, was born in Riga on 16 October, 2007.[10] [15] His two brothers, Jorens Gorkšs and Rihards Gorkšs, both play for his former club FK Auda, whilst his father, Juris Gorkšs, is the club's chairman.[23]

[edit] Honours

Club

  • Individual
    • The Championship "Team of the Week": 20 August, 2007[6]
    • The Championship "Team of the Week": 1 October, 2007[8]
    • The Championship "Team of the Week": 25 February, 2008[12]
    • The Championship "Team of the Week": 10 March, 2008[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Gorkšs lands Sweden switch", UEFA, 2003-10-28. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. 
  2. ^ "Lights, cameras, Latvian action", UEFA, 2006-04-07. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. 
  3. ^ Latvia 2006. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (2007-03-21). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  4. ^ "FK Ventspils 0-1 Newcastle", BBC Sport, 2006-08-10. Retrieved on 2008-06-03. 
  5. ^ "Gorkss agrees to join Blackpool", BBC Sport, 2006-12-12. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. 
  6. ^ a b Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week (PDF). The Football League (2007-08-20). Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  7. ^ "Derby 2-2 Blackpool (Blackpool win 7-6 on penalties)", BBC Sport, 2007-08-27. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. 
  8. ^ a b Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week (PDF). The Football League (2007-10-01). Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  9. ^ "Blackpool 1-0 Scunthorpe", BBC Sport, 2007-11-10. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. 
  10. ^ a b c "Emotional reunion for goal-hero Gorkss", Blackpool Gazette, 2007-11-12. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. 
  11. ^ "Astafjevs named Latvia's number one", UEFA, 2007-12-29. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. 
  12. ^ a b Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week (PDF). The Football League (2008-02-25). Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  13. ^ a b Coca-Cola Championship Team of the Week (PDF). The Football League (2008-03-10). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  14. ^ "Pool Player of Year revealed", Blackpool Gazette, 2008-05-07. Retrieved on 2008-05-07. 
  15. ^ a b c d "Retained List Latest", Blackpool F.C., 2008-05-07. Retrieved on 2008-05-07. 
  16. ^ Canavan, Steve. "Just talk says Gorkss", Blackpool Gazette, 2008-05-15. Retrieved on 2008-05-15. 
  17. ^ Canavan, Steve. "Canaries eyeing up Seasiders stars", Blackpool Gazette, 2008-05-29. Retrieved on 2008-05-30. 
  18. ^ McCaig, Alvin. "Northern Ireland 1-0 Latvia", BBC Sport, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. 
  19. ^ Cyprus International Tournament 2007. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  20. ^ Cyprus International Football Tournament 2007 - Cyprus. Futbol Planet (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  21. ^ "Liechtenstein beats Latvia 1-0", FOX Sports, 2007-03-29. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. 
  22. ^ "Latvia - Latest Match - Wed, Aug. 22, 2007", ESPN, 2007-08-22. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. 
  23. ^ "Seasiders record 5-0 win in tour opener", Blackpool F.C., 2007-07-19. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. 

[edit] External links


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Blackpool F.C. – current squad

— Barker • — Bayliss • — Broomes • — Burgess • — Coid • — Crainey • — D'Agostino • — Evatt • — Fox • — Gorkšs • — Green • — Hoolahan • — Jørgensen • — Kay • — Lloyd • — McPhee • — Merella • — Mitchley • — Morrell • — Rachubka • — Southern • — Taylor-Fletcher • — Wiles • Manager: Grayson
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