Lorent Tolaj
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Lorent Tolaj[1] | ||
Date of birth | 23 October 2001 | ||
Place of birth | Aigle, Switzerland | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Aldershot Town | ||
Number | 9 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2018 | FC Sion | ||
2018–2022 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022–2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | (0) |
2022 | → Cambridge United (loan) | 4 | (0) |
2022–2023 | → Salford City (loan) | 11 | (0) |
2023 | → Dundee (loan) | 2 | (0) |
2023– | Aldershot Town | 44 | (19) |
International career‡ | |||
2017 | Switzerland U17 | 3 | (2) |
2018–2019 | Switzerland U18 | 5 | (1) |
2019–2020 | Switzerland U19 | 4 | (9) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:55, 21 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:28, 2 February 2022 (UTC) |
Lorent Tolaj (born 23 October 2001) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a forward for National League club Aldershot Town.
Club career[edit]
Brighton & Hove Albion[edit]
Born in Aigle,[2] Tolaj joined Brighton & Hove Albion's academy in 2018 after playing youth football for Swiss side FC Sion.[3] He would score two goals for the Seagulls' under-23 side in their 4–2 win over Worthing in the 2022 Sussex Senior Challenge Cup final.[4]
On 16 June 2023, Tolaj was released from his contract with Brighton.[5]
Cambridge United, Salford City, and Dundee loans[edit]
On 31 January 2022, he joined EFL League One club Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season.[6][7] A day later, he made his debut for the U's as a substitute in the 2–0 away defeat at Bolton Wanderers.[8] On 18 April, it was confirmed that Tolaj had returned to his parent club Brighton after struggling for game time at Cambridge only making five appearances in all competitions.[9]
On 23 August, Tolaj signed for League Two side Salford City on loan for the 2022–23 season.[10] However, on 31 January 2023, Tolaj left Salford and joined Scottish Championship club Dundee on loan until the end of the season.[11] He made his debut for the Dark Blues as a substitute in a league game away to Hamilton Academical.[12] In April 2023, Tolaj return to Brighton after suffering an injury to his achilles tendon, and would only briefly return to Dundee before the issue flared up again.[13][14]
Aldershot Town[edit]
On 7 July 2023, following his release from Brighton, Tolaj joined National League side, Aldershot Town on a one-year deal.[15] Tolaj scored a brace in his debut for the Shots, in a 5–2 league win over Oxford City.[16] On 28 August, Tolaj would play part of a league game away to Eastleigh as a goalkeeper after Shots goalie Jordi van Stappershoef was sent off.[17] On 4 February 2024, the club announced that they had triggered an option in Tolaj's contract that would see him remain at the club until June 2025.[18] This came after an impressive run of form during January, scoring four goals and assisting another, this seeing him named the National League Player of the Month.[19]
International career[edit]
Born in Switzerland, Tolaj is of Kosovan descent.[20] He has represented Switzerland internationally at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.[21] On 19 November 2019, Tolaj scored eight goals in Switzerland U19's 16–1 win over Gibraltar U19, setting the record for the most goals scored in a under-19 Euro qualifier.[22]
Career statistics[edit]
- As of 20 April 2024
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 2019–20[23] | — | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
2021–22[24] | — | — | — | 3[a] | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
Brighton & Hove Albion | 2021–22[24] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
Cambridge United (loan) | 2021–22[24] | League One | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
Salford City (loan) | 2022–23[25] | League Two | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6[a] | 1 | 17 | 1 | |
Dundee (loan) | 2022–23[25] | Scottish Championship | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Aldershot Town | 2023–24[26] | National League | 44 | 19 | 5 | 5 | — | 2[c] | 1 | 51 | 25 | |
Career total | 61 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 80 | 28 |
- ^ a b c Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
- ^ Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
- ^ Appearances in FA Trophy
Honours[edit]
Brighton & Hove Albion
Independent
- National League Player of the Month: January 2024[19]
References[edit]
- ^ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Lorent Tolaj". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Mills, Richard (13 September 2021). "Lorent Tolaj recalls his injury woe after helping Brighton U23s beat Blackburn". Sussex Live. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ a b Bone, Steve (10 May 2022). "Sussex Senior Cup final: Gallant Worthing lose 4–2 to Brighton & Hove Albion U23s". sussexexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ https://www.premierleague.com/news/3537083
- ^ "Lorent Tolaj: Cambridge United agree loan deal for Brighton forward". BBC Sport. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Page, Stephen (31 January 2022). "U's sign Tolaj on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Page, Stephen (2 February 2022). "U's unbeaten run in League One ends with defeat at Bolton Wanderers". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Page, Stephen (18 April 2022). "Lorent Tolaj returns to Brighton & Hove Albion following Cambridge United loan spell". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ Bishop, Matt (23 August 2022). "Lorent Tolaj joins Salford City". Brighton & Hove Albion. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Lorent signs". Dundee Football Club. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Hamilton Academical v Dundee". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ Cran, George. "Dundee team news: Zach Robinson, Max Anderson and Ben Williamson updates as one loanee heads back to parent club". The Courier. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Robertson, Neil. "Dundee midfielder Jordan McGhee's season is over". The Courier. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "NEW SIGNING: Lorent Tolaj". Aldershot Town F.C. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Aldershot Town 5–2 Oxford City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "Eastleigh 3–0 Aldershot Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ^ "Club Option Triggered in Lorent Tolaj's Contract". www.theshots.co.uk. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Cook Collects First Award Of Many As Tolaj Takes Chance". www.thenationalleague.org.uk. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Kosovarët kundër Kosovës!". Lajmet e fundit – Zëri. 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Lorent Tolaj » Internationals". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Owen, Brian (20 November 2019). "Eight-goal Albion teen breaks Euro record". The Argus. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Swiss people of Kosovan descent
- People from Aigle
- Swiss men's footballers
- Footballers from the canton of Vaud
- Men's association football forwards
- FC Sion players
- Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
- Cambridge United F.C. players
- Salford City F.C. players
- Dundee F.C. players
- Aldershot Town F.C. players
- English Football League players
- Scottish Professional Football League players
- Switzerland men's youth international footballers
- Swiss expatriate men's footballers
- Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
- Swiss expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland
- Expatriate men's footballers in England