Gjoko Zajkov
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-02-10) 10 February 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth Skopje, Macedonia
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Centre Back
Team information
Current team
 Universitatea Craiova
Number 26
Youth career
2003–2012 Rabotnički
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2014 Rabotnički 51 (3)
2014–2016 Rennes 0 (0)
2014–2016 Rennes B 15 (0)
2015–2016 → Charleroi (loan) 7 (0)
2016–2021 Charleroi 25 (0)
2021–2022 Levski Sofia 14 (1)
2022–2023 Vorskla Poltava 14 (0)
2022 → Slavia Sofia (loan) 6 (1)
2023– Universitatea Craiova 24 (0)
International career‡
2011–2012 Macedonia U17 8 (1)
2012–2013 Macedonia U18 2 (0)
2012–2013 Macedonia U19 10 (1)
2014 Macedonia U20 1 (0)
2013–2017 Macedonia U21 21 (1)
2016– North Macedonia 27 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 September 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 September 2023

Gjoko Zajkov (Macedonian: Ѓоко Зајков; born 10 February 1995) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Romanian Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.

Early career

Zajkov began his football career with FK Rabotnički.

Club career

Born in Skopje into a family originally from Udovo, Gjoko Zajkov was playing in Macedonia for the youth team of Rabotnichki, until the summer in 2012 when he made his first appearance for the senior team of the club, competing in the Macedonian First League. He was voted best defender that year, at the age of 17.

On 23 June 2014 he left Macedonia for the French club Stade Rennais F.C., with whom he signed a three-year contract.[1] After his first season in France, where he spent the majority of the time playing for the youth team of Rennais only, in the summer of 2015 he was loaned for one year to Charleroi in Belgium.

After being released from Charleroi, Zajkov signed a one-year deal with Levski Sofia in August 2021.[2] In March 2022 he joined Slavia Sofia until the end of the season.[3]

In January 2023 he signed for Universitatea Craiova.[4]

International career

He has been a member of Macedonian U-19 and U-21 national teams.

He made his senior debut for Macedonia in a June 2016 friendly match against Iran and has, as of May 2020, earned a total of 12 caps, scoring no goals.[5][6]

He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2020, their first major tournament.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 2 September 2023 [7]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rabotnički 2011–12 1. MFL 4 0 0 0 — 0 0 4 0
2012–13 20 2 0 0 — — 20 2
2013–14 27 1 3 0 — — 30 1
Total 51 3 3 0 — — 54 3
Rennes 2014–15 Ligue 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 0
Rennes B 2014–15 CFA2 15 0 — — — 15 0
Charleroi 2015–16 (loan) Belgian Pro League 7 0 1 0 — — 8 0
2016–17 Belgian First Division A 1 0 2 0 — — 3 0
2017–18 11 0 2 0 — — 13 0
2018–19 12 0 0 0 — — 12 0
2019–20 1 0 1 0 — — 2 0
2020–21 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
Total 32 0 6 0 — 0 0 38 0
Levski Sofia 2021–22 First Professional Football League 14 1 2 0 — — 16 1
Slavia Sofia (loan) 2021–22 First Professional Football League 6 1 2 0 — — 8 1
Vorskla Poltava 2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League 14 0 0 0 — 2 0 14 0
Universitatea Craiova 2022–23 Liga I 16 0 — — — 16 0
2023–24 8 0 0 0 — — 8 0
Total 24 0 0 0 — — 24 0
Career total 156 5 13 0 1 0 0 0 170 5

International

As of 12 September 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
North Macedonia 2016 1 0
2017 4 0
2018 4 0
2019 3 0
2020 5 1
2021 2 0
2022 3 0
2023 5 0
Total 27 1

International goals

As of match played 11 October 2020. North Macedonia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Zajkov goal.[8]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 October 2020 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia 13  Estonia 3–3 3–3 2020–21 UEFA Nations League

Honours

Rabotnički

References

  1. ^ "Stade Rennais Football Club - Site Officiel -". staderennais.com. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Левски подписа с Гьоко Зайков". levski.bg. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Славия обяви Гьоко Зайков" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Bun venit, Gjoko Zajkov!". www.ucv1948.ro. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  5. ^ Mamrud, Roberto (16 July 2009). "Macedonia - Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  7. ^ Gjoko Zajkov at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  8. ^ Gjoko Zajkov at Soccerway

External links

CS Universitatea Craiova – current squad
North Macedonia squad – UEFA Euro 2020
Categories