Serge Atakayi
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Serge Atakayi | ||
Date of birth | 30 January 1999 | ||
Place of birth | Kinshasa, DR Congo | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | - | ||
Youth career | |||
2013–2015 | FF Jaro | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2016 | FF Jaro | 29 | (3) |
2015 | → JBK (loan) | 10 | (2) |
2016–2019 | Rangers | 1 | (0) |
2019 | → SJK (loan) | 10 | (1) |
2020– | SJK | 19 | (1) |
2021 | → FC TPS (loan) | 13 | (3) |
National team | |||
Finland U17 | |||
2016 | Finland U18 | 5 | (2) |
2016–2018 | Finland U19 | 11 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:46, 24 September 2021 (UTC) |
Serge Atakayi (born 30 January 1999) is a professional footballer who plays for Finnish club SJK as a forward. Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he has represented his adopted country of Finland at under-19 level.
Early life[]
Atakayi, originally from Democratic Republic of the Congo, applied for asylum in Finland alongside other members of his youth football team when visiting the country in 2010.[1]
Club career[]
FF Jaro[]
Atakayi joined the youth system at FF Jaro in 2013 and made his senior debut for the club in 2015.[2] He became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Finnish top flight when he scored against HIFK on 17 May 2015, aged 16 years and 107 days.[3][1]
Rangers[]
On 31 August 2016, after trial periods with Leicester City and Fulham, he joined Rangers on a three-year contract.[4] He signed a one-year contract extension to tie him to Rangers until 2020 in June 2018.[5] He made his debut against Motherwell in a 7-1 win during November 2018.[6]
SJK[]
Atakayi left Rangers on 30 December 2019 to join Finnish side SJK for a reported fee of £100,000.[7][8] Atakayi played in 19 games on the 2020 season and scored once. On June 4 2021 it was told by SJK-head coach Jani Honkavaara that Atakayi had not been training with the team since February because of attitude problems. [9] Atakayi only played in one Finnish Cup game for SJK in the 2021 season. On 28 July 2021 he moved to TPS on loan.[10]
International career[]
Atakayi was born in DR Congo but obtained Finnish citizenship in 2016 and represented Finland at under-15 level.[2] In June 2016, Atakayi represented Finland at under-18 level in the Baltic Cup and scored in a 2–2 draw with Lithuania on 2 June 2016.[11][12] He made his debut for the Finland under-19 side on 4 September 2016, in a goalless draw with Romania.[13]
Career statistics[]
- As of match played 20 May 2019[14]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
FF Jaro | 2015 | Veikkausliiga | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
2016 | Ykkönen | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
Total | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
Rangers | 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017–18 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2018–19 | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Career total | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 3 |
References[]
- ^ a b Berry, Gavin (2 September 2016). "Rangers signing Serge Atakayi and his incredible story of tears, torment and seeking asylum". Daily Record.
- ^ a b "Huippulupaus sai Suomen kansalaisuuden - Pietarsaareen Kinshashan kaduilta [Top Promise Receives Finnish Citizenship]". Yle (in Finnish). 17 May 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Veikkausliigan historiaa [Veikkausliiga History]". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 18 May 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Rangers Academy Transfer Roundup". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- ^ Thomson, Nick (15 June 2018). "Hardie Signs New Deal". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club.
- ^ "Rangers 7-1 Motherwell". BBC Sport. BBC. 11 November 2018.
- ^ "Serge Atakayi Joins SJK". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Serge Atakayi set for Rangers permanent exit as Finland return fee revealed". Daily Record. 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Serge Atakayin pelit SJK:ssa pelattu, Honkavaaran mukaan muutkin muutokset mahdollisia: "Aiomme olla aktiivisia siirtoikkunassa"". ilkkapohjalainen.fi. Ilkka-Pohjalainen. 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Atakayi lainasopimuksella Ykköseen". 28 July 2021.
- ^ "U18 nimetty Baltic Cupiin [Named U18 Baltic Cup]". Palloliitto (in Finnish). 18 May 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "U18-maajoukkue tasapeliin Liettuaa vastaan [U18-national team draw against Lithuania]". Palloliitto (in Finnish). 2 June 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "U19 ja Romania maalittomaan [U19 and Romania with no goals]". Palloliitto (in Finnish). 4 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "S. Atakayi". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
External links[]
- Serge Atakayi at Soccerbase
- 1999 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Kinshasa
- Finnish footballers
- Finland youth international footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo emigrants to Finland
- Finnish people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- Finnish expatriate footballers
- Rangers F.C. players
- FF Jaro players
- Jakobstads BK players
- Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho players
- Scottish Professional Football League players
- Ykkönen players
- Kakkonen players
- Veikkausliiga players
- Association football forwards
- Expatriate footballers in Scotland
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
- Naturalized citizens of Finland