Andrius Skerla
Encyclopedia
Andrius Skerla is a Lithuania
n professional football
defender
playing for Polish Ekstraklasa club Jagiellonia Białystok.
in 1995, before Dutch
giants PSV Eindhoven signed him in 1996. After an unsuccessful spell in Holland, Skerla signed for SPL
side Dunfermline Athletic
.
and was immediately put into the starting line up. After a successful first season at Dunfermline he was linked with numerous clubs including Scottish club Glasgow Rangers
, but Skerla insisted he wanted to stay at East End Park
. Skerla will most probably be remembered by the Pars fans, for scoring Dunfermline's only goal in the 2004 Scottish Cup Final
against Celtic
.
had a bid failed because it did not meet Dunfermline's valuation of the player, Skerla re-iterated his decision that he wanted to move and eventually he moved to Tom Tomsk for £200,000.
, Skerla has played for Lithuanian side FK Vėtra
.
on 7 October 2006 with a first international goal against the Faroe Islands
. Skerla retired from International football on 11 October 2011 after a defeat to Czech Republic
.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
playing for Polish Ekstraklasa club Jagiellonia Białystok.
Career
Skerla started his career at local club FK Žalgiris VilniusFK Žalgiris Vilnius
VMFD Žalgiris is a Lithuanian football club, playing in the capital, Vilnius. They have won the Lithuanian Championship three times: 1991, 1992, and 1999. The team's colours are green and white...
in 1995, before Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
giants PSV Eindhoven signed him in 1996. After an unsuccessful spell in Holland, Skerla signed for SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
.
Dunfermline Athletic
Skerla's time at Dunfermline was his most successful period of football. He was signed in 2000 by new manager Jimmy CalderwoodJimmy Calderwood
James "Jimmy" Calderwood is a Scottish former footballer and currently without a club having recently been manager of Ross County. Calderwood played for English clubs Birmingham City and Cambridge United and Dutch clubs Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II Tilburg, Roda JC and Heracles Almelo...
and was immediately put into the starting line up. After a successful first season at Dunfermline he was linked with numerous clubs including Scottish club Glasgow Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, but Skerla insisted he wanted to stay at East End Park
East End Park
East End Park is a football stadium situated in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland with a seating capacity of 11,380.The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premier League side, Dunfermline Athletic F.C. It currently comprises four stands: East Stand, Main Stand, SGM Stand and the Norrie...
. Skerla will most probably be remembered by the Pars fans, for scoring Dunfermline's only goal in the 2004 Scottish Cup Final
Scottish Cup 2003-04
The 2003–04 Scottish Cup was the 119th staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Tennent's Scottish Cup. The Cup was won by Celtic who defeated Dunfermline Athletic in the final. The final was Henrik Larsson's last...
against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
Tom Tomsk
In March 2005, Skerla announced he wished to leave Dunfermline as he decided to look for new challenges. After Russian side Rubin KazanFC Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan is a Russian association football club based in the city of Kazan . Rubin won the Russian Premier League championship in 2008 and 2009.-History:...
had a bid failed because it did not meet Dunfermline's valuation of the player, Skerla re-iterated his decision that he wanted to move and eventually he moved to Tom Tomsk for £200,000.
FK Vetra
Since leaving Dunfermline for RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Skerla has played for Lithuanian side FK Vėtra
FK Vetra
FK Vėtra was a Lithuanian football team from the capital city of Vilnius.- History :The club was founded in 1997 and was initially based in Rūdiškės, a settlement in Vilnius district, and moved in 2003 to Vilnius city with the purchase of its own stadium....
.
Jagiellonia Białystok
Skerla is currently playing for Ekstraklasa side Jagiellonia Białystok. Skerla scored in the 2010 Polish Cup Final for Jagiellonia, helping them to secure their first senior trophy, as well as ensure they would compete in European competition for the first time in the 2010-2011 season.International
Skerla marked his 50th appearance for LithuaniaLithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
on 7 October 2006 with a first international goal against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
. Skerla retired from International football on 11 October 2011 after a defeat to Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
.
Successes
- 1x Lithuanian Football CupLithuanian football CupThe Lithuanian Football Federation Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Lithuanian football. It began in 1947 as a tournament for teams in the Lithuanian SSR not competing in the Soviet league pyramid...
Winner (1996/97) with Žalgiris Vilnius - 1x EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
Winner (1999/00) with PSV Eindhoven - 1x Polish CupPolish CupThe Polish Cup in football or officially Remes Puchar Polski, is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa title...
Winner (2010) with Jagiellonia Białystok. - 1x Polish SuperCupPolish SuperCupThe Polish SuperCup in football is an annually held match between the champion of the Ekstraklasa and the Polish Cup winner. To this date the Polish SuperCup has been played out 21 times with the Polish Cup winner taking the trophy 13 times, while the Ekstraklasa champions had won the trophy 8 times...
Winner (2010) with Jagiellonia Białystok.