Stefan Bajcetic
Bajcetic playing for Liverpool in 2022
Personal information
Full name Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira
Date of birth (2004-10-22) 22 October 2004
Place of birth Vigo, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, centre back[1]
Team information
Current team
 Liverpool
Number 43
Youth career
2013–2020 Celta Vigo
2020–2022 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Liverpool 11 (1)
International career‡
2021 Spain U18 3 (0)
2023– Spain U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:42, 11 March 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:12, 9 Sep 2023 (UTC)

Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira (Serbian: Стефан Бајчетић, Stefan Bajčetić; born 22 October 2004) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre back for Premier League club Liverpool.

Early life

Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira[2] was born on 22 October 2004[3] in Vigo, Galicia.[1] He is the son of the Serbian former footballer Srđan Bajčetić and a Galician mother.[4][5]

Club career

Bajcetic was a product of the Celta Vigo youth academy, and signed for Premier League club Liverpool in December 2020 for £224,000.[6][7][8][9]

Bajcetic's progress was rewarded with a new contract in August 2022.[10] He made his professional debut on 27 August, coming on as a substitute in a 9–0 home victory over AFC Bournemouth.[11] Bajcetic made his UEFA Champions League debut against Ajax on 13 September as a 94th-minute substitution, replacing Thiago. [12] In doing so, he became Liverpool's youngest-ever player in the Champions League, beating a record previously held by Billy Koumetio.[13]

On 9 November 2022, Bajcetic started his first game for Liverpool, in the home win against Derby County in the third round of the 2022–23 EFL Cup. [14] On 26 December, as a 79th-minute substitute, Bajcetic scored his first senior goal for Liverpool in their 3–1 victory away to Aston Villa in the 2022–23 Premier League.[15] Aged 18 years, 2 months and 4 days, he became the third youngest player to score for Liverpool in the Premier League, behind Michael Owen and Raheem Sterling, and the second youngest Spanish player to score in the Premier League, behind Cesc Fàbregas.[16]

In January 2023, Bajcetic's progress was rewarded with a new long-term contract at Anfield.[17] On the field, he continued to progress, starting three consecutive Premier League games against Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and local rivals Everton. On 16 February, he was voted January’s Player of the Month by fans.[18] On 21 February, he became the youngest Liverpool player, aged 18 years and 122 days, to start in a Champions League knockout match, which ended in a 2–5 home defeat against Real Madrid.[19]

On 16 March 2023, he announced he would miss the rest of the 2022–23 season with an adductor injury.[20] He returned to training on 6 August 2023.[21]

International career

Bajcetic is eligible to represent Spain and Serbia at international level.[22][23] In 2021, he was called up to the Spain U18 for the Lafarge Foot Avenir tournament by manager Pablo Amo, appearing in all 3 matches as Spain won the tournament.[24] His time with the youth squad was halted by injury in 2023, amidst a impending U21 call up and rumours of a call from the senior team.[25][26]

Bajcetic made his debut for Spain U21s on 8 September 2023, coming on as a substitute in a 6-0 win over Malta.[27]

Career statistics

As of match played 27 September 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool U21 2021–22[28] ————1[lower-alpha 1]010
2022–23[29] ————2[lower-alpha 1]020
Total ————3030
Liverpool 2022–23[30] Premier League 11120204[lower-alpha 2]000191
2023–24[31] Premier League 0000101[lower-alpha 3]0—20
Total 11120305000211
Career total 11120305030241
  1. 1 2 Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. ↑ Appearance in UEFA Europa League

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stefan Bajčetić: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "2022/23 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic". Premier League. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Un meteoro vigués en Liverpool". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). A Coruña.
  5. ↑ "Stefan u dresu Srbije moja velika želja! Ne verujemo u baksuzno "ić" na Enfildu: Otac Liverpulove nade za 24sedam izneo planove za budućnost". 24sedam (in Serbian).
  6. ↑ "Celta y Liverpool acuerdan la marcha del canterano Stefan Bajcetic". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). A Coruña. 23 December 2020.
  7. ↑ O'Neill, Caoimhe (30 July 2022). "Who is Stefan Bajcetic and why are Liverpool fans so excited?". The Athletic. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic: Liverpool is the best place for me to develop". Liverpool F.C.
  9. ↑ Bacariza, Marcos L. (23 July 2022). "Stefan Bajcetic: "Valió la pena irme del Celta al Liverpool"". Moi Celeste (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic signs new contract after impressive Liverpool pre-season". This is Anfield. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Liverpool 9–0 Bournemouth: Reds record biggest ever Premier League win". This is Anfield. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Liverpool's Joël Matip rises to see off Ajax and ease the Anfield anxiety". The Guardian. London. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic becomes Liverpool's youngest-ever Champions League player". This is Anfield. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "Kelleher's shootout saves see Liverpool scrape past Derby in Carabao Cup". The Guardian. London. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  15. ↑ Fisher, Ben (26 December 2022). "Teenager Stefan Bajcetic makes instant impact in Liverpool win at Aston Villa". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  16. ↑ "Tko je Stefan Bajčetić? Čudo od djeteta koje je sinoć zaludilo Engleze" [Who is Stefan Bajcetic? The wunderkind who made the English go crazy last night]. Gol.hr (in Croatian). 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic signs new long-term contract with Liverpool FC". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic wins Standard Chartered Men's Player of the Month". Liverpool F.C. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  19. ↑ "Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid: Vinícius Júnior and Benzema score two each in stunning comeback from Champions League holders". UEFA. 21 February 2023.
  20. ↑ "Liverpool's Stefan Bajcetic to miss rest of season with injury". The Indian Express. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  21. ↑ Lynch, David (4 August 2023). "Liverpool get midfield boost with duo to return to full training". This Is Anfield.
  22. ↑ "Who is Liverpool's talented teenager Stefan Bajčetić? The versatile Spaniard who has been compared to Man City star and rejected a move to Manchester United". Talksport. 23 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "U LIVERPULU SVI PRIČAJU O STEFANU – DA LI JE SRBIN NOVI FABINJO!? Sin bivšeg igrača Crvene zvezde ODUŠEVIO Jirgena Klopa". Mondo (in Serbian).
  24. ↑ Lusby, Jack (6 September 2021). "Liverpool centre-back celebrates silverware with Spain". This is Anfield.
  25. ↑ Durkan, Joanna (17 March 2023). "Stefan Bajcetic was to be promoted into Spain U21 squad before season-ending injury". This is Anfield. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  26. ↑ Barlow, Ruairidh (20 February 2023). "Liverpool starlet Stefan Bajcetic in the running for Spain call-up". Football España. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  27. ↑ "Stefan Bajcetic plays first game in 6 months – but not in Liverpool role". This is Anfield. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Stefan Bajcetic in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Stefan Bajcetic in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Stefan Bajcetic in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Stefan Bajcetic in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
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