Dimitar Iliev (footballer, born 1988)

Dimitar Krasimirov Iliev (Bulgarian: Димитър Красимиров Илиев, born 25 September 1988) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Lokomotiv Plovdiv, where he is also club captain, and for the Bulgarian national team.[1] He won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 2019 and 2020.

In this Bulgarian name, the patronymic is Krasimirov and the family name is Iliev.
Dimitar Iliev
Dimitar Iliev in 2022
Personal information
Full name Dimitar Krasimirov Iliev
Date of birth (1988-09-25) 25 September 1988
Place of birth Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder / Forward
Team information
Current team
 Lokomotiv Plovdiv
Number 14
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2009 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 73 (14)
2010–2011 CSKA Sofia 5 (0)
2010 → Minyor Pernik (loan) 14 (5)
2011 → Pirin Blagoevgrad (loan) 12 (3)
2011–2012 Montana 27 (2)
2012–2014 Lokomotiv Sofia 57 (10)
2014–2017 Wisła Płock 90 (11)
2017–2018 Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała 23 (3)
2018– Lokomotiv Plovdiv 164 (51)
International career‡
2004–2005 Bulgaria U17 6 (5)
2006–2007 Bulgaria U19
2008–2009 Bulgaria U21 2 (0)
2020– Bulgaria 13 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 October 2021

Career

Iliev began his career in the youth ranks of Lokomotiv Plovdiv. After making his way through the various youth levels at the club, he debuted for the senior team in a 4–1 home win over Lokomotiv Sofia on 11 September 2004, aged 15. In November 2004, Iliev had a trial spell with Chelsea.[2]

Iliev with CSKA Sofia in 2010

In January 2010, Iliev signed for CSKA Sofia, but struggled to get into the main squad and spent loan spells at Minyor Pernik and Pirin Blagoevgrad, before joining Montana on a permanent basis in August 2011.[3]

After one season with Montana, Iliev joined Lokomotiv Sofia, where he spent two seasons before moving to Poland to sign for Wisła Płock in 2014. In 2015–16, his second season with the club, Iliev helped Wisła achieve promotion to the Ekstraklasa. He spent three full seasons with Wisła before moving to Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała in 2017 where he spent one season.

On 16 July 2018, Iliev re-joined Lokomotiv Plovdiv, signing a two-year contract.[4] At the end of the season he lifted the Bulgarian Cup as a captain of his childhood team. The 1–0 win against local rivals Botev Plovdiv was achieved with the only goal in 73rd minute scored by Alen Ožbolt (assist by Ante Aralica and pre-assist by Iliev himself). It happened to be the first Bulgarian Cup trophy for Lokomotiv as well as the 1st ever trophy in Iliev's career. On 2 August 2020, Iliev scored a last-minute goal against Ludogorets Razgrad, helping his team to a 1–0 win and a Bulgarian Supercup triumph.[5]

International career

In November 2019 Iliev received his first call up to the national team for the friendly match against Paraguay and the UEFA Euro 2020 Qualification match against the Czech Republic,[6] but remained an unused substitute for both games. He earned his first cap on 26 February 2020, playing the first half of the 0–1 home loss against Belarus in a friendly game.[7]

Career statistics

As of 23 May 2022

Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2004–05 A Group 30000030
2005–06 1101100121
2006–07 1231010143
2007–08 9120——111
2008–09 25710——267
2009–10 13300——133
CSKA Sofia 00000000
2010–11 501040100
Total 501040100
Minyor Pernik (loan) 2009–10 A Group 14510——155
Pirin Blagoevgrad (loan) 2010–11 12310——133
Montana 2011–12 27200——272
Lokomotiv Sofia 2012–13 26452——316
2013–14 31650——366
Total 5710102006712
Wisła Płock 2014–15 I liga 32500——325
2015–16 29310——303
2016–17 Ekstraklasa 29300——293
Total 901110009111
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała 2017–18 I liga 23330——263
Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2018–19 First League 29962——3511
2019–20 271275423819
2020–21 301343213617
2021–22 311332423817
Total 19061251311522679
Career statistics406884215155463108
  1. Includes Bulgarian Supercup matches.

International goals
Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.11 November 2020Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria Gibraltar3–03–0Friendly
2.15 November 2020 Finland1–21–22020–21 UEFA Nations League B
3.8 September 2021 Georgia2–04–1Friendly

Honours

Lokomotiv Plovdiv

Individual

References
  1. "Dimitar Iliev Facts". footballdatabase.eu.
  2. "Димитър Илиев от Локо (Пд) започва проби в Челси" (in Bulgarian). monitor.bg. 1 November 2004. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014.
  3. "Монтана се подсили с бивш цесекар" (in Bulgarian). btvnovinite.bg. 2 August 2011.
  4. "Локомотив подписа договор с Димитър Илиев" (in Bulgarian). lokomotivpd.com. 16 July 2018.
  5. Dimitrov, Ivaylo (2 August 2020). "Локо (Пд) надигра Лудогорец и заслужи втора в историята си Суперкупа на България!" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  6. "Георги Дерменджиев започна с изненадите в националния отбор". topsport.bg. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  7. "Експериментален състав на България отстъпи на Беларус (видео+галерия)". sportal.bg. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  8. Petkov, Georgi (5 January 2020). "Димитър Илиев е "Футболист на годината", получи наградата си лично от Бербатов". topsport.bg. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  9. "Димитър Илиев за трети пореден път е "Футболист №1 на Пловдив"" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 31 August 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.