Martin Škrtel

Martin Škrtel

Škrtel with Liverpool in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Martin Škrtel[1]
Date of birth	(1984-12-15) 15 December 1984
Place of birth	Handlová, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Liverpool
Number	37
Youth career
	Prievidza
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2004	Trenčín	44	(8)
2004–2008	Zenit Saint Petersburg	74	(3)
2008–	Liverpool	173	(9)
National team‡
2004–	Slovakia	65	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:08, 2 February 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 November 2013

Martin Škrtel (/ˈʃkɜrtəl/; Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmartɪn ˈʃkr̩cɛl]; born 15 December 1984) is a Slovak footballer who plays as a centre back for Liverpool and is the captain of Slovakia.

He has been named Slovak Footballer of the Year on four occasions, and appeared for the country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

FK AS Trenčín

Škrtel started his professional career at FK AS Trenčín. He played in 44 games for them between 2001 and 2004.^[3]

Zenit Saint Petersburg

Škrtel made his debut for Zenit Saint Petersburg in a Russian Cup match on 31 July 2004. He said that the presence of Slovak and Czech players helped him to adjust to the new team.^[4] He played 113 times and scored 5 goals for the club.^[4] Valencia, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Newcastle United were all reported to be interested in his services,^[5] but he ended up signing for Liverpool in the January 2008 transfer window.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Liverpool

2007–08 season

Škrtel joined Liverpool on 11 January 2008 on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a transfer fee of £6.5 million.^[11] On completion of the deal, then Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez said of Škrtel :

"He is aggressive, quick, is good in the air and I think he's a very good player for the future and also for the present. He is very competitive, but his mentality for me is very good".

He made his league debut against Aston Villa, wearing the number 37 for Liverpool. Benítez has also compared Škrtel to legendary Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.^[6][7]

On 26 January 2008, Škrtel played in Liverpool's 4th Round FA Cup tie against non-league side Havant & Waterlooville, when he nervously gave away a corner which put Liverpool 1–0 behind, and was also involved in a goal mouth scramble which saw Liverpool go 2–1 down after having equalised, before Liverpool eventually won 5–2. But he put in a solid display in the league game against Chelsea, making several good clearances and interceptions, and was voted Man of the Match by the Liverpool supporters on their official website. Liverpool fans have warmed to Škrtel and he is now considered an integral part of Liverpool's defence after turning in several more solid performances at centre half, especially in both UEFA Champions League quarter-final legs against Arsenal.

Škrtel was voted man of the match by Liverpool supporters on Liverpoolfc.TV, for his performance in the 1–0 derby win over Everton at Anfield on 30 March 2008, Škrtel's first ever appearance in a Merseyside derby.

2008–09 season

Škrtel made a bright start to this campaign, starting in all but one Premier League match and displacing out of favour Daniel Agger to the bench. He put in a number of strong performances with defensive partner Jamie Carragher against many top teams, notably Manchester United, Everton and Olympique Marseille. However, on 5 October 2008, Martin suffered a serious knee injury after falling awkwardly when challenging Ched Evans late in a game against Manchester City. Liverpool went on to win the game 3–2 but it was later confirmed the central defender had torn the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and would face up to 8 weeks on the sidelines.^[12]

2009–10 season

He scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–2 draw with Manchester City on 21 November 2009.^[13] On 26 February 2010, it was confirmed that he had broken his metatarsal in his right foot while playing in the 3–1 victory over Unirea Urziceni the previous day.^[14] On 18 August 2010, Škrtel signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool, committing his future to Liverpool until 2014.^[15]

2010–11 season

He played in all of Liverpool's fixtures of the 2010–11 season, apart from the UEFA Europa League play-off against Trabzonspor, the first group game against Steaua Bucaresti and the shock exit from the League Cup 3rd round stage, losing to League Two side Northampton Town 4–2 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. Škrtel also played every minute of every Premier League match with Liverpool F.C.^[16] He scored his second career goal for Liverpool on 28 November, opening the scoring at Tottenham at White Hart Lane on a right-footed shot after collecting the rebound from his own deflected header, and also scored his first own goal in premier league as Liverpool lost 2–1. On his 26th birthday, he captained Liverpool in the Europa League against FC Utrecht. On 2 April 2011, he scored a header against West Bromwich Albion, and played the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 defeat at The Hawthorns. Škrtel had appeared in every minute of the 2010–2011 Premier League season, playing in all 38 Premier League games for Liverpool, one of only two outfield players to do this, the other being Everton's left-back Leighton Baines.

2011–12 season

On 27 August 2011, Škrtel scored a headed goal for Liverpool against Bolton Wanderers in his first league appearance of the season whilst making his appearance in an unfamiliar right-back position.^[17] Later in the season he was sent off at an away match against Tottenham Hotspur, who won the match 4–0. Teammate Charlie Adam was also sent off at the same match. Škrtel came under criticism for his recent poor performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, despite the fact that he was playing out of position because both right-backs, Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson were injured. Škrtel and Daniel Agger then became the first choice centre-backs ahead of Jamie Carragher after a run of good form. He scored Liverpool's second goal in a league match away at Aston Villa in a 2–0 win. His first goal of 2012 came in a 5th-round FA Cup tie against Brighton and Hove Albion, opening the scoring within five minutes of kick-off with a well-executed near-post header from a corner kick. Škrtel scored in the 2012 Football League Cup Final to level the scores against Cardiff City. It was 2–2 after extra time and Liverpool went on to win 3–2 on penalties, making this the first trophy he has won since joining Liverpool in 2008. His partnership with Daniel Agger made the team much stronger because they seemed to understand each other more than other Liverpool defenders. Their partnership led to Liverpool at one point having the best defensive record in the premier league, but were over taken by Manchester City. His increasing standard of performances led to him becoming a fan favorite at Anfield, and earned him the nickname 'The Terminator'. On 10 April 2012, Škrtel captained Liverpool for the first time, leading his club to a dramatic 3–2 win over Blackburn and playing a major part in the first goal with a fantastic long pass from his own area to an advancing Craig Bellamy, who subsequently squared for a Maxi Rodríguez tap-in to make the score 1–0 in favour of Liverpool. Škrtel was awarded Liverpool Player of the Season in May 2012.

2012–13 season

After Kenny Dalglish parted company with Liverpool he was replaced by Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers. Škrtel's season got off to a bad start, giving away a penalty in a 3–0 loss to West Bromwich Albion on 18 August 2012. However, he redeemed himself one week later by heading home the first goal against Manchester City, only for his poorly executed pass back to 'keeper Pepe Reina to be intercepted by Carlos Tévez resulting in a 2–2 draw.^[18] On 20 August 2012, Škrtel announced that he would commit his future to Liverpool by signing a new contract.^[19]

2013–14 Season

Martin Skrtel has been a consistent starter in the XI after an impressive performance against Manchester United.

International career

Škrtel played international football for Slovakia youth teams,^[3] before making his debut in the senior squad in 2004. Škrtel was selected in Slovakia's squad for the 2010 World Cup, the country's first as an independent nation. He played a crucial part in the side's 3–2 win over reigning champions Italy as he played in every match of their world cup campaign, which saw Slovakia reach the knock-out stages ahead of the Italians.

International goals

Scores and results list Slovakia's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	2 September 2006	Tehelné Pole, Bratislava	Cyprus	1–0	6–1	Euro 2008 qualifier
2.	7 February 2007	Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz	Poland	2–0	2–2	Friendly
3.	24 March 2007	GSP Stadium, Nicosia	Cyprus	2–1	3–1	Euro 2008 qualifier
4.	13 October 2007	Mestský štadión, Dubnica	San Marino	4–0	7–0	Euro 2008 qualifier
5.	6 September 2008	Tehelné Pole, Bratislava	Northern Ireland	1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup qualifier

Club performance

As of 2 February 2014

Club performance		League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Russia		League		–		–		Europe		Total
2004	Zenit Saint Petersburg	7	0	–	–	–	–	4	0	11	0
2005		18	1	–	–	–	–	9	0	27	1
2006		26	1	–	–	–	–	0	0	26	1
2007		23	1	–	–	–	–	5	0	28	1
Total		74	3	–	–	–	–	18	0	92	3
England		League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
2007–08	Liverpool	14	0	1	0	0	0	5	0	20	0
2008–09		21	0	2	0	0	0	7	0	30	0
2009–10		19	1	2	0	2	0	6	0	29	1
2010–11		38	2	1	0	0	0	10	0	49	2
2011–12		34	2	5	1	6	1	0	0	45	4
2012–13		25	2	1	0	0	0	7	0	33	2
2013–14		22	2	1	0	1	0	0	0	24	2
Total		173	9	13	1	9	1	35	0	230	11
Career Total		247	11	13	1	9	1	53	0	322	14

Honours

Club

Zenit Saint Petersburg

• Russian Premier League: 2006–07

Liverpool

• Football League Cup: 2011–12

Individual

• Youth Champion of Slovakia: 2001
• Slovak Footballer of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012
• Standard Chartered Liverpool Player of the Season: 2012
• Standard Chartered Liverpool Player of the Month: February 2012

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin Škrtel.

• LFChistory.net player profile
• Official website
• Liverpool F.C. profile
• Martin Škrtel career stats at Soccerbase

Awards v t e Slovak Footballer of the Year 1993: Dubovský 1994: Kinder 1995: Tittel 1996: Tittel 1997: Tittel 1998: Majoroš 1999: Labant 2000: Németh 2001: Moravčík 2002: Karhan 2003: Janočko 2004: Mintál 2005: Mintál 2006: Vittek 2007: Škrtel 2008: Škrtel 2009: Hamšík 2010: Hamšík 2011: Škrtel 2012: Škrtel v t e Peter Dubovský Trophy 2000: Meszároš 2001: Vittek 2002: Vittek 2003: Števko 2004: Ivana 2005: Škrtel 2006: Švento 2007: Hamšík 2008: Hamšík 2009: Stoch 2010: Stoch 2011: Mak 2012: Mak

v t e Slovakia squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Mucha 2 Pekarík 3 Škrtel 4 Čech 5 Zabavník 6 Štrba 7 Weiss 8 Kozák 9 Šesták 10 Sapara 11 Vittek 12 Perniš 13 Hološko 14 Jakubko 15 Stoch 16 Ďurica 17 Hamšík (c) 18 Jendrišek 19 Kucka 20 Kopúnek 21 Saláta 22 Petráš 23 Kuciak Coach: Weiss

v t e Liverpool F.C. – current squad 1 B. Jones 2 Johnson 3 José Enrique 4 Touré 5 Agger 6 Alberto 7 Suárez 8 Gerrard (c) 9 Aspas 10 Coutinho 12 Moses 14 Henderson 15 Sturridge 16 Coates 17 Sakho 20 Cissokho 21 Lucas 22 Mignolet 24 Allen 31 Sterling 33 Ibe 34 Kelly 36 Yeşil 37 Škrtel 38 Flanagan 44 Smith 45 Sama 46 Rossiter 48 Sinclair 50 Brannagan 51 L. Jones 52 Ward Manager: Rodgers

Persondata
Name	Škrtel, Martin
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	15 December 1984
Place of birth	Handlová, slovakia
Date of death
Place of death