Albert Rusnák (footballer, born 1994)

Albert Rusnák
Personal information
Full name Albert Rusnák[1]
Date of birth (1994-07-07) 7 July 1994
Place of birth Vyškov, Czech Republic[2]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Real Salt Lake
Number 11
Youth career
KAC Košice[2]
1997–2010 MFK Košice
2010–2013 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Manchester City 0 (0)
2013 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 2 (0)
2014 → Birmingham City (loan) 3 (0)
2014 → SC Cambuur (loan) 17 (4)
2015–2017 FC Groningen 61 (9)
2017– Real Salt Lake 19 (5)
National team‡
2011–2013 Slovakia U19 6 (2)
2013– Slovakia U21 10 (4)
2016– Slovakia 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 August 2017.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 June 2017

Albert Rusnák (born 7 July 1994) is a Slovak professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake as an attacking midfielder.

Career

Manchester City

Rusnák played youth football in Slovakia for MFK Košice from a very young age, before signing for Manchester City in July 2010,[3] where he joined the club's academy side.

Loan to Oldham Athletic

After three years of youth and reserve-team football, he signed for Football League One side Oldham Athletic on loan.[4] Rusnák made his first senior appearance as a 63rd-minute substitute for Jonson Clarke-Harris in a league game against Tranmere Rovers on 31 August 2013, in a match that they lost 0–1 at Boundary Park.[5] His first start came three days later, in a 4–1 away Football League Trophy win over Shrewsbury Town.[6] On 17 September, Rusnák's loan was cut short and he returned to City.[7]

Loan to Birmingham City

On 21 January 2014, Rusnák joined Football League Championship (second-tier) club Birmingham City on a month's youth loan.[8] He went straight into the starting eleven for the FA Cup fourth round defeat to Swansea City the following Saturday.[9] On 18 February 2014, Rusnák extended his loan spell until the conclusion of the 2013–14 season.[10]

Loan to SC Cambuur

On 25 July 2014, Rusnák moved to Dutch Eredivisie club SC Cambuur on loan until January.[11] He became a key part of the team, scoring in a 3–0 win over local rivals FC Groningen and having his loan extended until the end of the season.[12] Earlier in the season, in another local derby at sc Heerenveen, he gave the ball away from kick-off, resulting in a penalty being awarded after nine seconds, but Cambuur fought back for a 2–2 draw.[12]

FC Groningen

With his Manchester City contract due to expire in the summer of 2015,[12] Rusnák moved on a three-year contract to Groningen on 18 December 2014.[13] On 3 May 2015, he scored both goals in the KNVB Cup final as they defeated reigning champions PEC Zwolle to win their first major trophy and qualify for the UEFA Europa League.[14]

Real Salt Lake

On 6 January 2017, Rusnák joined Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer in time for the 2017 season. The terms of the move were undisclosed. He will wear the number 11 shirt last worn by Javier Morales.[15]

Personal life

Rusnák's father, also called Albert Rusnák, is himself a former professional footballer and manager who became a scout at Manchester City in 2010, taking his son to the club.[12]

Style of play

Rusnák struggled while playing in the Football League, due to the style of play rewarding taller and physically stronger players.[12] His manager at Cambuur, Henk de Jong, noted how his style of play being better suited for a playmaker role rather than his position on the wing in England.[12]

Honours

Club

FC Groningen

Career statistics

As of match played 30 July 2017 [16]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester City 2013–14[9] Premier League 000000000000
Oldham Athletic (loan) 2013–14[9] League One 200000001[lower-alpha 1]030
Birmingham City (loan) 2013–14[9] Championship 301000000040
SC Cambuur (loan) 2014–15 Eredivisie 17400———174
FC Groningen 2014–15 [17] Eredivisie 16333———196
2015–16 [18] 28320—6[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]0373
2016–17 13120———151
FC Groningen 57773—60107110
Real Salt Lake 2017 Major League Soccer 19500———195
Career total 98168300602011419
  1. ↑ Appearance in the Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearances in the Europa League
  3. ↑ Appearance in the Johan Cruyff Shield

References

  1. ↑ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/02/2014 and 28/02/2014" (PDF). The Football Association. p. 13. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 Predstavujeme Alberta Rusnáka, ifotbal.eu, retrieved 22. 1. 2014 (in Slovak)
  3. ↑ "City seal Slovak deal". Sky Sports. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Manchester City: Albert Rusnak joins Oldham Athletic on loan". BBC Sport. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  5. ↑ "Oldham 0–1 Tranmere". BBC Sport. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Shrewsbury 1–4 Oldham". BBC Sport. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "Transfer news: Albert Rusnak returns to Manchester City after Oldham loan cut short". Sky Sports. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Albert Rusnak wings in to Blues". Birmingham City F.C. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Games played by Albert Rusnak in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "Loan extensions for Huws and Rusnak". Birmingham City FC. 18 February 2014.
  11. ↑ Bajkowski, Simon (25 July 2014). "Rusnak moves on loan to SC Cambuur". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Yokhin, Michael (4 November 2014). "Man City loanee Albert Rusnak takes Netherlands by storm at Cambuur". ESPN. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "FC Groningen contracteert Albert Rusnak" [FC Groningen sign Albert Rusnák] (in Dutch). FC Groningen. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Groningen claim first trophy with KNVB Cup triumph". Goal.com. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  15. ↑ Montgomery, Matt (6 January 2017). "Official: Real Salt Lake signs Albert Rusnák". www.rslsoapbox.com. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  16. ↑ Albert Rusnák at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Games played by Albert Rusnak for FC Groningen in 2014/2015". FCG Stats. FCG Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "Games played by Albert Rusnak in 2015/2016". FCG Stats. FCG Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
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