Rajko Lekic
Encyclopedia
Radivoje "Rajko" Lekić is a Danish
footballer who currently plays for New England Revolution
in Major League Soccer
.
He has previously played for B 93, BK Avarta
, Herfølge BK, Fremad Amager, Silkeborg IF
, Odense BK
and Esbjerg fB
in Denmark, as well as Spanish
club Xerez CD
and Hungarian
Zalaegerszegi TE
. Lekić is of Montenegrin descent but was born and raised in Denmark.
on 16th of June 1999 in a 2-1 win again AGF Aarhus. But it became his only league game for the club. So during the 2001 season he joined the Danish 4th tier club BK Avarta
and became an instant success, as he tallied 16 goals in just 15 matches, making him topscorer in the Denmark Series
and earning him a contract as full-time professional for Danish 1st Division
side Herfølge BK in January 2002. He continued to be a topscorer netting 9 goals in 13 matches, but in the second half of the season he was showing poor form. So in 2003 he signed a half-year contract with Danish 2nd Division
side Fremad Amager and appeared in 12 matches scoring 6 goals and helping the club to win promotion to the Danish 1st Division
. But he did not get his contract extended. So he chose to join another Danish 1st Division side Silkeborg IF
, the club with which he would have his greatest success. In his first spell with Silkeborg Lekić would net 30 goals in just 34 appearances. He became Danish 1st Division topscorer, helped Silkeborg to promotion to the Danish Superliga and his goal scoring prowess did not go unnoticed on the Continent. In 2004 Lekić was signed by Xerez CD
of Spain's Segunda División
. In two season with Xerez Lekić appeared in 38 league matches and scored 6 goals. The following seasons he would join OB, Zalaegerszegi
, and Esbjerg fB
but struggled to find the form that had made him a highly regarded striker.
In 2008 he returned to Silkeborg IF
on loan and quickly recaptured his scoring form tallying 15 goals in 15 appearances. As a result Silkeborg IF
purchased his contract and he remained at the club on a permanent basis. During this second spell with Silkeborg IF
Lekić appeared in 76 league matches and scored 37 goals. During his two stints with Silkeborg IF
Lekić appeared in 121 official matches and scored 76 goals.
Lekić signed with New England Revolution
on 8 April 2011, contract terms were not disclosed. He made his first start for the New England Revolution
on April 17, 2011 in a game against the Houston Dynamo
.
against Austria
in which he came on as a 61st-minute substitute for Nicklas Bendtner
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
footballer who currently plays for New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
He has previously played for B 93, BK Avarta
BK Avarta
Boldklubben Avarta is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East which ranks as the third best league in Denmark. The team was relegated from the Danish 2nd Division East following the 2005-06 season, but spent only two seasons in the Denmark Series Pool 1 before...
, Herfølge BK, Fremad Amager, Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
, Odense BK
Odense BK
Odense Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in the town of Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen...
and Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
in Denmark, as well as Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
club Xerez CD
Xerez CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, S.A.D., usually just Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia...
and Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Zalaegerszegi TE
Zalaegerszegi TE
Zalaegerszegi Torna Egylet is a Hungarian football team from the city of Zalaegerszeg.ZTE traces its roots back to 1912, at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its first match was a 4-2 defeat to a team from Vasvár. The team was first composed of members of a literary and debating society...
. Lekić is of Montenegrin descent but was born and raised in Denmark.
Club
Lekić began his career with Danish side B 93 in 1998 and remained at the club for 3 years, getting his professional debut in the Danish SuperligaDanish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
on 16th of June 1999 in a 2-1 win again AGF Aarhus. But it became his only league game for the club. So during the 2001 season he joined the Danish 4th tier club BK Avarta
BK Avarta
Boldklubben Avarta is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East which ranks as the third best league in Denmark. The team was relegated from the Danish 2nd Division East following the 2005-06 season, but spent only two seasons in the Denmark Series Pool 1 before...
and became an instant success, as he tallied 16 goals in just 15 matches, making him topscorer in the Denmark Series
Denmark Series
The Denmark Series is the 4th tier of football in Denmark. Teams are divided into three pools of fourteen teams each. The top two teams in each pool are promoted to the Danish 2nd Division West or Danish 2nd Division East, as is appropriate for each club geographically...
and earning him a contract as full-time professional for Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
side Herfølge BK in January 2002. He continued to be a topscorer netting 9 goals in 13 matches, but in the second half of the season he was showing poor form. So in 2003 he signed a half-year contract with Danish 2nd Division
Danish 2nd Division
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
side Fremad Amager and appeared in 12 matches scoring 6 goals and helping the club to win promotion to the Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
. But he did not get his contract extended. So he chose to join another Danish 1st Division side Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
, the club with which he would have his greatest success. In his first spell with Silkeborg Lekić would net 30 goals in just 34 appearances. He became Danish 1st Division topscorer, helped Silkeborg to promotion to the Danish Superliga and his goal scoring prowess did not go unnoticed on the Continent. In 2004 Lekić was signed by Xerez CD
Xerez CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, S.A.D., usually just Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia...
of Spain's Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
. In two season with Xerez Lekić appeared in 38 league matches and scored 6 goals. The following seasons he would join OB, Zalaegerszegi
Zalaegerszegi TE
Zalaegerszegi Torna Egylet is a Hungarian football team from the city of Zalaegerszeg.ZTE traces its roots back to 1912, at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its first match was a 4-2 defeat to a team from Vasvár. The team was first composed of members of a literary and debating society...
, and Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
but struggled to find the form that had made him a highly regarded striker.
In 2008 he returned to Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
on loan and quickly recaptured his scoring form tallying 15 goals in 15 appearances. As a result Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
purchased his contract and he remained at the club on a permanent basis. During this second spell with Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
Lekić appeared in 76 league matches and scored 37 goals. During his two stints with Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...
Lekić appeared in 121 official matches and scored 76 goals.
Lekić signed with New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
on 8 April 2011, contract terms were not disclosed. He made his first start for the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
on April 17, 2011 in a game against the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
.
International
Lekić made his debut for the Danish national teamDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in which he came on as a 61st-minute substitute for Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
.