Nikolay Dimitrov (footballer, born 1987)

Nikolay Dimitrov

Dimitrov with Ural in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Nikolay Emilov Dimitrov
Date of birth	(1987-10-15) 15 October 1987
Place of birth	Ruse, Bulgaria
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current team	Ural Yekaterinburg
Number	17
Youth career
2000–2004	Levski Sofia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2010	Levski Sofia	89	(18)
2010–2012	Kasımpaşa	58	(16)
2013	Samsunspor	17	(5)
2013–2014	Boluspor	25	(2)
2014–2015	Manisaspor	32	(11)
2015–2016	Xanthi	23	(2)
2016	Slavia Sofia	11	(1)
2017–	Ural Yekaterinburg	17	(1)
National team‡
2007–2008	Bulgaria U-21
2008–2011	Bulgaria	8	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 August 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 May 2011

Nikolay Dimitrov (Bulgarian: Николай Димитров; born 15 October 1987 in Ruse) is a Bulgarian footballer who currently plays as a winger for Russian Premier League club Ural Yekaterinburg.

Career

Levski Sofia

Born in Ruse, Nikolay Dimitrov started growing his football abilities in Levski Sofia's Youth academy. Dimitrov took his league bow for Levski in 2004–05 season, making seven substitute appearances in his first campaign. He made his senior debut on 6 August 2004, in a 3–1 win over Slavia Sofia, as an 89th-minute substitute for Emil Angelov.^[1]

In the following season Dimitrov scored his first and second goals for the club, during a 6–1 win over Rodopa Smolyan on 30 April 2006. His first start came against Belasitsa Petrich in the final game of the A PFG season on 30 May.^[2]

Dimitrov became a regular starter during the 2007–08 season. He ended that season with 8 league goals in 29 matches. With Levski Dimitrov has won three A PFG titles, two Bulgarian Cups and three Bulgarian Supercups.

Kasımpaşa S.K.

On 17 May 2010, Dimitrov together with his teammate Georgi Sarmov signed for Kasımpaşa S.K. for five years.^[3] He made his Süper Lig debut on 14 August 2010, in a 0–0 away draw against Gaziantepspor. On 27 October, Dimitrov scored a penalty in a 4–1 Turkish Cup win over Menemen Belediyespor. On 20 November, he scored his first Süper Lig goal against Gençlerbirliği. During the season, he earned 23 league appearances and scored two goals. However, Dimitrov and his Kasımpaşa team mates were relegated at the season's end.

During 2011–12 season he scored 12 goals in the TFF First League. His goals helped the team reach the promotion playoffs for the Süper Lig. On 19 May 2012, Dimitrov scored in a 2–0 away win against Konyaspor in the first leg of the play-offs semi-final. Four days later, en route to the play-off final, he scored the first goal, his fourteenth of the season, in Kasımpaşa's 3–0 home win over Konyaspor. On 27 May he played 120 minutes in the play-off Final against Adanaspor.^[4] Kasımpaşa won the match 3–2 after extra time with goals from Gökhan Güleç, Adem Büyük and Azar Karadas sending them back to the Süper Lig after a one season absence.

Slavia Sofia

Dimitrov joined Slavia Sofia on 29 September 2016.^[5]

International career

He made his debut for Bulgaria national football team on 6 February 2008 in a friendly match against Northern Ireland, a game in which Bulgaria won with a score of 0–1.^[6] Dimitrov came on as a substitute and played during the second half of the match. In November 2016, he was recalled to the national side (after a long absence from international duty) for a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Belarus, during which he remained on the bench.^[7]

Career statistics

As of 3 January 2016.^[8][9]

¹ Includes Bulgarian Supercup and promotion playoffs for the Süper Lig

Honours

Club

Levski Sofia

• A PFG: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09
• Bulgarian Cup: 2006–07
• Bulgarian Supercup: 2005, 2007, 2009

References

External links

• Nikolay Dimitrov at National-Football-Teams.com
• Profile at LevskiSofia.info