Bozhidar Kraev

Bozhidar Kraev
Personal information
Full name Bozhidar Boykov Kraev
Date of birth (1997-06-23) 23 June 1997
Place of birth Vratsa, Bulgaria
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Winger / Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Levski Sofia
Number 12
Youth career
2003–2008 Botev Vratsa
2008–2010 Vilafranca
2010–2012 Chavdar Etropole
2012–2013 Botev Vratsa
2013–2014 Levski Sofia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2014– Levski Sofia 36 (10)
National team‡
2013 Bulgaria U17 3 (0)
2014– Bulgaria U19 7 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:16, 20 December 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:49, 16 November 2015 (UTC)

Bozhidar Boykov Kraev (Bulgarian: Божидар Бойков Краев; born 23 June 1997 in Sofia) is a Bulgarian footballer who currently plays as a winger for Levski Sofia in the Bulgarian A Football Group.

Career

Early career

Born in Sofia, at the age of six Kraev began playing football at the local club Botev Vratsa, for whom his father Boyko Kraev had also played. In 2008 he joined the Hristo Stoichkov's academy in Vilafranca, Spain, as a part of a Gillette programme for young talented players, that was initiated by Stoichkov.[1] Two years later, Kraev returned to Bulgaria, joining Chavdar Etropole. Then he spent one year with his first club Botev Vratsa.

Levski Sofia

In January 2013, at the age of 15, Kraev joined Levski Sofia's academy.[2] He made his first team debut in a 1–1 league draw against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on 19 July 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute.[3] On 23 September, he marked his first start by scoring a hat-trick in a 7–1 away win over Spartak Varna in the Bulgarian Cup. On 14 October, Kraev was named by The Guardian as one of the forty most promising young players in the world.[4]

On 12 December 2014, Kraev signed his first professional contract, on a three-year deal.[5] Two days later, he was invited for a trial at Juventus.[6] In January 2015, Kraev spent a week on trial and at English club Manchester City.[7]

Kraev scored his first league goal for Levski in a 8–0 home win over Haskovo on 27 February 2015. On 26 May 2015, he scored his first A Group hattrick in a 6–0 win against Marek Dupnitsa. Kraev's hattrick was the 100th in Levski history in the Bulgarian league.[8]

Statistics

As of 20 December 2015

Club performanceLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
ClubLeagueSeasonAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
BulgariaLeagueBulgarian CupEuropeOther[lower-alpha 1]Total
Levski Sofia A Group 2014–15 19683––279
2015–16 17422––196
Total 361010500004615
Career statistics 36 10 10 5 0 0 0 0 46 15
  1. ↑ Includes Bulgarian Supercup matches.

Awards

Individual

Best progressing young player in Bulgarian football - 2014, 2015[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Чичарито от Враца" (in Bulgarian). webcafe.bg. 13 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "Левски привлече и по-големият брат Краев" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. 8 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Левски - Локомотив (Пловдив) 1–1" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 19 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Next Generation 2014: 40 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 14 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Левски върза Краев с нов договор" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 12 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Краев замина на проби в Ювентус" (in Bulgarian). gong.bg. 15 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Levski Sofia’s Bozhidar Kraev arrives for Manchester City trial". theguardian.com. 4 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Краев с хеттрик № 100 в историята на Левски". sportal.bg. 26 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Dimitrov, Ivaylo (17 February 2015). "Владислав Стоянов е най-добрият български футболист за 2014 година! Лудогорци обраха почти всички индивидуални награди". topsport.bg. Retrieved 18 February 2015.

External links

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