Kamil Mieczysław Grabara (born 8 January 1999) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Poland national team.
.jpg) Grabara during training in 2022 with Copenhagen. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kamil Mieczysław Grabara[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 January 1999[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Ruda Śląska, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | VfL Wolfsburg | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2011 | Wawel Wirek | ||
| 2011–2012 | Stadion Śląski Chorzów | ||
| 2012–2015 | Ruch Chorzów | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Ruch Chorzów II | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2021 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| 2019 | → AGF (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Huddersfield Town (loan) | 28 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → AGF (loan) | 29 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Copenhagen | 87 | (0) |
| 2024– | VfL Wolfsburg | 11 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014–2015 | Poland U16 | 5 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Poland U17 | 9 | (0) |
| 2016 | Poland U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2020 | Poland U21 | 19 | (0) |
| 2022– | Poland | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 January 2023 | |||
Club career
editEarly career
editGrabara joined Liverpool ahead of the 2016–17 season from Ruch Chorzów for £250,000,[3][4][5] and was promoted to the first-team squad for the 2018–19 season.[6] He trained regularly with the first-team squad at Melwood and made his maiden senior outing in a pre-season friendly against Tranmere Rovers in July 2018.[7] On 26 September 2018, Grabara was named on the substitutes' bench for the first time in Liverpool's 2–1 EFL Cup defeat to Chelsea at Anfield.[8] On 6 January 2019, Grabara joined AGF on loan until the end of the season.[9] On 15 July 2019, Grabara joined Championship side Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan deal.[10]
At the end of September 2020, Grabara returned to Danish club AGF on loan for the 2020–21 season.[11]
Copenhagen
editOn 3 July 2021, Grabara joined Copenhagen on a permanent basis, signing a five-year deal with the Danish side.[12][13] Following his performances for the club both in the Danish Superliga and the UEFA Champions League, in December 2022 Grabara received the "Goalkeeper of the Year" award from the local sports magazine Tipsbladet.[14]
VfL Wolfsburg
editOn 6 September 2023, Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg announced the signing of Grabara on a long-term contract, starting from 1 July 2024, to replace the outgoing Koen Casteels.[15] The fee was reported to be approximately €13.5 million, with Wolfsburg holding an option to have Grabara join them in January 2024, but they did not activate the option.[16][17]
International career
editGrabara was a first choice goalkeeper for Poland U21 throughout most of his tenure with the squad, having made his debut against Denmark on 14 November 2017.[18]
Senior
editGrabara received his first call-up in the senior Polish national team for a friendly match against Scotland and the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification playoff against Sweden on 24 and 29 March 2022, respectively.[19] On 1 June 2022, he debuted as a starter in a 2–1 home 2022–23 UEFA Nations League victory against Wales.[20]
On 20 October 2022, Grabara was selected by manager Czesław Michniewicz as part of the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, replacing Bartłomiej Drągowski who got injured just before the tournament. Grabara did not make a single appearance during the tournament as Poland were eliminated in the round of 16 by France.[21]
Style of play
editGrabara is described as an allround goalkeeper, able to dominate the penalty area, pull off reflex saves, play out from the back and, as he develops, operate as a sweeper.[22]
Personal life
editGrabara is from Ruda Śląska, in Southern Poland. He was the second Polish goalkeeper for Liverpool, after the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final hero Jerzy Dudek.[23]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 23 November 2024[24]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ruch Chorzów II | 2015–16[25] | III liga, gr. F | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Liverpool | 2018–19 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AGF (loan) | 2018–19 | Danish Superliga | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | |
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2019–20 | Championship | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | |
| AGF (loan) | 2020–21 | Danish Superliga | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | |
| Copenhagen | 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12[b] | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | Danish Superliga | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14[c] | 0 | 50 | 0 | |
| Total | 87 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 126 | 0 | ||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Career total | 172 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 218 | 0 | ||
- ^ Includes FA Cup, Danish Cup, DFB-Pokal
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
edit- As of match played 12 June 2022
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | |||
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours
editCopenhagen
References
edit- ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/12/2017 and 31/12/2017". The Football Association. p. 2. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Kamil Grabara: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Hunter, Andy (6 January 2016). "Liverpool sign teenage Polish keeper Kamil Grabara from Ruch Chorzow". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Profile". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ Smith, Alex (28 July 2018). "Who is Kamil Grabara? Liverpool goalkeeper starts pre-season clash against Manchester United". Mirror. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ Walsh, Kristian (27 July 2018). "Liverpool turn to teenage goalkeepers against Man Utd". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ Pearce, James (28 July 2018). "Meet Kamil Grabara - Liverpool's 'fearless' teenage goalkeeper liked by Steven Gerrard and Manchester United". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ Hafez, Shamoon (27 September 2018). "Liverpool 1–2 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Kamil Grabara joins AGF Aarhus on loan". Liverpool F.C. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
- ^ "Liverpool: Kamil Grabara signs new deal then joins Huddersfield on loan". BBC Sport. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- ^ KAMIL GRABARA VENDER TILBAGE TIL AGF, agf.dk, 28 September 2020
- ^ "Kamil Grabara completes permanent move to FC Copenhagen". Liverpool FC. 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Kamil Grabara ny FCK-keeper". F.C. København (in Danish). 3 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Kamil Grabara vinder Det Gyldne Bur". Tipsbladet.dk. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ Gjerulff, Rune (3 September 2023). "Report: Grabara to replace Casteels at Wolfsburg". Bulinews. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Wiadomo, ile kosztował Kamil Grabara. Bardzo duże pieniądze za reprezentanta Polski". meczyki.pl (in Polish). 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ Fallah, Af Mads Glenn Wehlast • Daniel Nøjsen (3 September 2023). "Bombe: Grabara skriver under - skifter næste sommer". ekstrabladet.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Poland | U21 EURO". UEFA. 14 November 2017.
- ^ Riisberg, Emil. "Polska – Szwecja | Kiedy Mecz i o Której Godzinie? Baraże o MŚ 2022" [Poland vs. Sweden: What time does the match start? 2022 World Cup Play-Off Final in Qatar]. TVN24 (in Polish). Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Janiuk, Adrian (2 June 2022). "Liga Narodów: Grzegorz Szamotulski o debiucie Kamila Grabary: nie zawinił przy straconym golu" [Nations League: Grzegorz Szamotulski on Kamil Grabara's debut: he was not at fault for the conceded goal]. TVP Sport (in Polish).
- ^ "Znamy szeroką kadrę reprezentacji Polski na mundial w Katarze! | Reprezentacja A". Polish Football Association (in Polish). Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ Lusby, Jack (15 July 2018). "Who is young Liverpool goalkeeper Kamil Grabara?". This is Anfield. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ Smith, Alex (28 July 2018). "Everything you need to know about Liverpool youngster Kamil Grabara". mirror.
- ^ Kamil Grabara at Soccerway
- ^ "Sezon 2015/16". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "FC Copenhagen win 14th Danish league title". www.dailytimes.com.pk. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "FCK win 2022/23 Danish Cup". Copenhagen. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
External links
edit- Profile at the F.C. Copenhagen website
- Kamil Grabara at 90minut.pl (in Polish)
- Kamil Grabara – UEFA competition record (archive)