Dejan Školnik
Encyclopedia
Dejan Školnik is a Croatia
n football midfielder
who currently plays for Portuguese first division
club C.D. Nacional and for the Croatian under-21 team
.
and then transferred to Železničar
youth sides at the age of 14. He played there for 3 years before returning to his home club where he signed his first professional contract.
Školnik then played for NK Maribor in the Slovenian top division, 1.SNL for three seasons, earning 72 appearances and scoring 6 goals in the process. His talent was then spotted by Portuguese first division
team Nacional where he joined his fellow teammate from Maribor Rene Mihelič
, signing a 5 year contract until 1 July 2015.
team. Before his international debut for Croatia
he was offered a place in Slovenia U-21
but Školnik turned down the offer and decided in favour of his parents homeland.
, present day Slovenia
and lived there his whole life. He is of Croatia
n ancestry as his parents originate from northeastern
Croatia. According to him he started playing football on the streets of Maribor and only joined NK Maribor youth sides after he was convinced to join by his friends he played with after school and one of which was Rene Mihelič
.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n football midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who currently plays for Portuguese first division
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
club C.D. Nacional and for the Croatian under-21 team
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
.
Club career
Školnik started his career in MariborNK Maribor
Nogometni Klub Maribor , commonly referred to as NK Maribor or simply Maribor, is a professional association football club based in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. Founded on 12 December, 1960, Maribor is one of only three football clubs in the country who have never been relegated from...
and then transferred to Železničar
NK Železnicar Maribor
NK Železničar is a Slovenian football club from Maribor, which plays in the 1.MNZ Maribor league, fourth level of Slovenian football system.-History:...
youth sides at the age of 14. He played there for 3 years before returning to his home club where he signed his first professional contract.
Školnik then played for NK Maribor in the Slovenian top division, 1.SNL for three seasons, earning 72 appearances and scoring 6 goals in the process. His talent was then spotted by Portuguese first division
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
team Nacional where he joined his fellow teammate from Maribor Rene Mihelič
Rene Mihelic
Rene Mihelič is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Portuguese first division club Nacional. A Slovenia under-21 and senior international, he came through the NK Maribor youth academy, before settling on their first team...
, signing a 5 year contract until 1 July 2015.
International career
Currently Školnik is a member of Croatia U-21Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
team. Before his international debut for Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
he was offered a place in Slovenia U-21
Slovenia national under-21 football team
The Slovenia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Current squad:...
but Školnik turned down the offer and decided in favour of his parents homeland.
Personal life
Školnik was born in MariborMaribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
, present day Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and lived there his whole life. He is of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n ancestry as his parents originate from northeastern
Varaždin County
Varaždin County is a county in northern Croatia. It is named after its county seat, the city of Varaždin.-Geography:In addition to the city of Varaždin, the county includes the towns of Ivanec, Ludbreg, Lepoglava, Novi Marof and Varaždinske Toplice, as well as 22 municipalities...
Croatia. According to him he started playing football on the streets of Maribor and only joined NK Maribor youth sides after he was convinced to join by his friends he played with after school and one of which was Rene Mihelič
Rene Mihelic
Rene Mihelič is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Portuguese first division club Nacional. A Slovenia under-21 and senior international, he came through the NK Maribor youth academy, before settling on their first team...
.