Edgaras Jankauskas

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Edgaras Jankauskas

Jankauskas as a Skonto player
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-03-12) 12 March 1975
Place of birthVilnius, Soviet Union
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
Panerys Vilnius
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1991–1996Žalgiris Vilnius93(41)
1996CSKA Moscow18(9)
1997Torpedo Moscow29(10)
1997–1999Club Brugge52(16)
2000–2002Real Sociedad56(19)
2002→ Benfica (loan)12(8)
2002–2005Porto64(19)
2004–2005→ Nice (loan)24(2)
2005–2007FBK Kaunas0(0)
2005–2007→ Hearts (loan)37(9)
2007–2008AEK Larnaca15(5)
2008Belenenses5(0)
2008Skonto Riga10(2)
2009REO LT Vilnius4(8)
2009–2010New England Revolution14(2)
2011Fakel Voronezh10(0)
Total443(150)
National team
1991–2008Lithuania56(10)
Teams managed
2011–2012Lokomotiv Moscow (assistant)
2012–2013Hearts (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Edgaras Jankauskas (born 12 March 1975) is a Lithuanian retired footballer.

A powerful striker who excelled in the physical side of the game, he was also relatively skilled. Other than in his own he played professionally in nine different countries, and represented the Lithuanian national team for almost 20 years.

Whilst with Porto Jankauskas made history as the first Lithuanian footballer to win the UEFA Champions League, in 2004.

Club career

Early years / Brugge

Born in Vilnius, Lithuania, Soviet Union, Jankauskas moved to local giants FK Žalgiris' youth ranks at 16, from neighbouring FK Panerys. In 1996 he joined PFC CSKA Moscow, and later spent a further year in the Russian capital with FC Torpedo.

In 1997 Jankauskas moved to Club Brugge KV, and helped the club win the Belgian championship in his first season. However, in January 2000, he became the most expensive Lithuanian player of all time when Real Sociedad paid Brugge €2.3 million for his services.

Portugal

After another year and a half in San Sebastián, Jankauskas was loaned to S.L. Benfica for the 2001–02 season, and the following year was signed by F.C. Porto, under manager José Mourinho. Although not always a regular starter, Jankauskas made an important contribution to a side which conquered all in Portugal, winning the league and cup double in 2002–03 and the national championship in the following campaign.

Jankauskas also helped Porto to an unprecedented run of European success and, while he missed selection for the 2003 UEFA Cup final-winning squad, he was a substitute when the Dragons won the UEFA Champions League against AS Monaco FC in the following year.

Hearts / Late career

After the departure of Mourinho, Jankauskas fell out of favor in Porto and joined OGC Nice on loan,[1] but he failed to settle in France and eventually signed for Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian – via FBK Kaunas – in 2005. In a complex deal he was loaned to Hearts at the behest of Vladimir Romanov, who controlled both clubs, and spent the next two seasons in Edinburgh.

In 2005–06, Jankauskas' experience and goals helped Hearts to win the Scottish Cup and achieve Champions league qualification by finishing second in the league.[2][3] The following campaign was less successful for him, as injuries and indifferent form limited his appearances; after his Kaunas and Hearts contracts expired in June 2007,[4] he signed with Cyprus's AEK Larnaca FC.

On 30 January 2008, Jankauskas signed with Portuguese league outfit C.F. Os Belenenses. However, after only a few months, he terminated his contract, moving to Latvia's Skonto FC in the summer after claiming he wanted to play closer to his homeland.

At the start of 2009 Jankauskas was working on obtaining his coaching badges, and pondering his retirement. However, in June, it was revealed that he would be heading to the United States for a trial with Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. On 28 June 2009, pending the arrival of his P1 Visa and ITC documents, a deal was arranged for the 34-year-old; his week 26 goal against the Kansas City Wizards was nominated for the MLS Goal of the Year Award.

On 30 September 2010, Jankauskas was released by the Revolution.[5] He signed shortly after with FC Fakel Voronezh in the Russian second level, retiring after only a couple of months.

In July 2012 Jankauskas returned to Hearts as an assistant manager,[6] leaving his post at the end of the season.[7]

International career

Jankauskas was an important part of the Lithuania national football team since 1991 when, at the age of just 16, he helped the country to the 1991 Baltic Cup, playing the last 30 minutes of the 4–1 final win against Estonia.

He scored his first international goal on 5 October 1996, in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iceland (2–0), and went on to net a further nine in 56 international appearances, in eighteen years of international play (he did not appear for the national team, however, from 1992–95).

International goals

Scores and results list Lithuania's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 October 1996 Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania  Iceland 1–0 2–0 1998 World Cup qualification
2 9 October 1996 Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania  Liechtenstein 1–0 2–1 1998 World Cup qualification
3 30 April 1997 Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein  Liechtenstein 1–0 2–0 1998 World Cup qualification
4 3 June 2000 S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania  Armenia 1–1 1–2 Friendly
5 15 August 2001 S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania  Israel 1–1 2–3 Friendly
6 4 September 2004 Pays de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium  Belgium 1–1 1–1 2006 World Cup qualification
7 8 September 2004 S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania  San Marino 1–0 4–0 2006 World Cup qualification
8 8 September 2004 S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania  San Marino 2–0 4–0 2006 World Cup qualification
9 6 February 2007 La Courneuve, Paris, France  Mali 1–1 1–3 Friendly
10 12 September 2007 S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania  Faroe Islands 1–0 2–1 Euro 2008 qualifying

Honours

Club

Žalgiris
Club Brugge
Porto
Hearts

Country

Individual

  • Lithuanian Player of the Year: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004

References

  1. ↑ Jankauskas to set French first; UEFA.com, 31 August 2004
  2. ↑ Hearts 3–0 Motherwell; BBC Sport, 18 February 2006
  3. ↑ Falkirk 1–2 Hearts; BBC Sport, 25 March 2006
  4. ↑ Hearts announce Jankauskas exit; BBC Sport, 1 June 2007
  5. ↑ "Revolution release Edgaras Jankauskas". New England Revolution. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2010. 
  6. ↑ "Hearts appoint Edgaras Jankauskas as Hearts assistant". BBC Sport. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 
  7. ↑ "Hearts: Edgaras Jankauskas & board member leave club". BBC Sport. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 

External links

A Lyga top scorers
Taça de Portugal top scorers
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