Ion_Nicolaescu
Ion Nicolaescu
Moldovan footballer (born 1998)
Ion Nicolaescu (born 7 September 1998) is a Moldovan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Dutch Eredivisie club Heerenveen and the Moldova national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for his country with 14 goals,[1][2][3] and was named Moldovan Footballer of the Year in 2023.[4]
|
Nicolaescu with Heerenveen in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25) | ||
| Place of birth | Chișinău, Moldova | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Heerenveen | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2014 | Cahul-2005 | ||
| 2014–2016 | Zimbru Chișinău | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2017 | Zimbru-2 Chișinău | 37 | (13) |
| 2016–2018 | Zimbru Chișinău | 25 | (5) |
| 2018–2020 | Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 13 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Vitebsk (loan) | 18 | (9) |
| 2020–2022 | DAC Dunajská Streda | 39 | (5) |
| 2022 | → Maccabi Petah Tikva (loan) | 15 | (5) |
| 2022–2023 | Beitar Jerusalem | 27 | (15) |
| 2023– | Heerenveen | 15 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016 | Moldova U19[lower-alpha 1] | 2 | (0) |
| 2018 | Moldova U21[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | (0) |
| 2018– | Moldova | 43 | (15) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 | |||
On 20 May 2016, Nicolaescu made his professional debut for Zimbru Chișinău in the Divizia Națională against Academia Chișinău, coming on as a 65th-minute substitute.[5]
DAC Dunajská Streda
Nicolaescu joined DAC Dunajská Streda of Fortuna Liga in September 2020. After mere two days with the club he contributed with two goals to a 5–3 victory over Jablonec, advancing the Slovak side to the Third Round of UEFA Europa League qualifying.[6]
Beitar Jerusalem
Nicolaescu scored 15 league goals and 3 goals in Israel State Cup at the 2022–23 season, helping Beitar Jerusalem win the Israeli State Cup. His three goals in the State Cup games, one against F.C. Kafr Qasim on 11 December 2022, one against Hapoel Afula, on 1 February 2023, during the 4–0 win and another goal at the finals against Maccabi Netanya.[7][8][9]
Heerenveen
On 7 August 2023, Dutch side Heerenveen announced they had signed Nicolaescu to a three year contract.[10]
- As of 26 March 2024
- Scores and results list Moldova's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nicolaescu goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 2020 | Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy |  Kosovo | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
| 2 | 25 March 2021 | Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău, Moldova |  Faroe Islands | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 12 October 2021 | Turner Stadium, Be'er Sheva, Israel |  Israel | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 15 November 2021 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria |  Austria | 1–3 | 1–4 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 24 March 2022 | Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău, Moldova |  Kazakhstan | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League |
| 6 | 3 June 2022 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein |  Liechtenstein | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League |
| 7 | 10 June 2022 | Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău, Moldova |  Latvia | 1–0 | 2–4 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League |
| 8 | 14 June 2022 | Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău, Moldova |  Andorra | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League |
| 9 | 22 September 2022 | Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia | Latvia | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League |
| 10 | 24 March 2023 | Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău, Moldova | Faroe Islands | 1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 11 | 20 June 2023 | Stadionul Zimbru, Chișinău |  Poland | 1–2 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 12 | 2–2 | |||||
| 13 | 12 October 2023 | Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden |  Sweden | 1–2 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 14 | 15 October 2023 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland | Poland | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 15 | 26 March 2024 | Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey |  Cayman Islands | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
- Only official UEFA matches included
- "Dvadsaťdvaročný útočník z Moldavska podpísal zmluvu na tri roky" (in Slovak).dac1904.sk
- "Nicolaescu called up for Moldova U19 team" (in Russian).sports.md
- "Superlativele anului fotbalistic 2023" (in Romanian). Moldovan Football Federation. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- "Academia vs Zimbru". Soccerway.
- "Hrdina DAC prišiel pred dvomi dňami. Na tréningu nechápal, na obede sa pýtal trénera, čo má robiť". Šport.sk (in Slovak). 18 September 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- "ההתאחדות לכדורגל בישראל - פרטי משחק". www.football.org.il.
- "ההתאחדות לכדורגל בישראל - פרטי משחק". www.football.org.il.
- "SC HEERENVEEN VERSTERKT AANVAL MET MOLDAVISCHE SPITS ION NICOLAESCU" [SC HEERENVEEN STRENGTHENS ATTACK WITH MOLDOVAN STRIKER ION NICOLAESCU] (in Dutch). SC Heerenveen. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- Ion Nicolaescu at Soccerway
- Ion Nicolaescu at FootballDatabase.eu
- Ion Nicolaescu at FootballFacts.ru (in Russian)
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