Faustas Steponavičius

Faustas Steponavičius (born 8 June 2004) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bulgarian First League club Botev Plovdiv and the Lithuania national team.

Faustas Steponavičius
Personal information
Full name Faustas Steponavičius
Date of birth (2004-06-08) 8 June 2004
Place of birth Panevėžys, Lithuania
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Botev Plovdiv
Number 14
Youth career
0000–2020 Panevėžys
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Panevėžys 2 (0)
2021–2022 Genoa 0 (0)
2022 → Jarun (loan) 7 (0)
2023 RFS 0 (0)
2023 → Tukums 2000 (loan) 15 (8)
2023– Botev Plovdiv 9 (0)
International career‡
2019–2020 Lithuania U17 5 (0)
2021 Lithuania U18 2 (0)
2021– Lithuania U19 13 (1)
2022– Lithuania U21 3 (1)
2023– Lithuania 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:35, 14 October 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Steponavičius began his career with hometown club FK Panevėžys. From 2019 through 2021 he made 54 appearances for the club's youth and reserve sides, scoring 23 goals.[1] He made his debut for the first-team in an A Lyga match against FK Kauno Žalgiris during the 2020 season. For the 2022 season he scored eleven goals for the reserve side.[2]

In July 2022 Steponavičius went on a two-week trial with Genoa of Italy's Serie A. The following month it was announced that he had signed a one-year contract to initially join the youth academy.[2][3] In summer 2022, he went on loan to NK Jarun of Croatia's second-tier league. He went on to make seven appearances for the club before departing in search of more first-team playing time.[4][5]

In 2023 Steponavičius returned to the Baltics, joining FK RFS and going out on loan to FK Tukums 2000 for the 2023 Latvian Higher League season. He went on to score eight goals in fifteen matches in his breakout season en route to becoming one of the top scorers in the league.[6] In June 2023 it was announced that a club from Bulgaria had purchased the player from FK RFS.[7] The club who had activated Steponavičius's buyout clause was soon revealed to be Botev Plovdiv.[8] The club reportedly paid €200,000 for the player.[9]

International career

Steponavičius has been a regular member of Lithuania's youth national sides since the under-15 level.[10][2] In March 2022 he scored in a 3–1 victory over Malta in 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.[11] Three months later he scored for the national under-19 side in a 1–2 defeat to Estonia in the 2022 Under-19 Baltic Cup.[12]

Steponavičius received his first call-up to the senior national team in June 2023 ahead of UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Hungary.[6]

References
  1. "Lietuvos Fubolas profile" (in Lithuanian). lietuvosfutbolas.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  2. "Karjeros šuolis: talentas iš Panevėžio persikėlė į Italijos "Serie A" klubą" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  3. "F. Steponavicius Pasirese Kontrakta su CFC "Genoa"" (in Lithuanian). FK Panevėžys. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  4. "F.Steponavičius žaidė Kroatijoje, V.Slivka ir T.Milašius žaidė draugiškose rungtynėse" (in Lithuanian). sportas.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  5. "F.Steponavičius treniruojasi su RFS klubu" (in Lithuanian). sportas.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  6. Gustas, Tomas. "Kaimynystėje – naujas Lietuvos futbolo deimantas: įkvėptas C. Ronaldo tikisi žengti Neymaro pėdomis" (in Lithuanian). lrytas.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  7. "Latvijoje rezultatyvumu išsiskyręs Steponavičius keliasi į Bulgariją" (in Lithuanian). osportas.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  8. "Ботев Пловдив взима литовски талант" (in Bulgarian). actualno.com. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  9. "Bulgarijos klubas už Lietuvos rinktinėje kojas apšilusį puolėją sumokėjo šimtatūkstantinę išpirką" (in Lithuanian). delfi.lt. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  10. "U15s beat Lithuania: 6-2". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  11. "Lithuanians Too Strong for Malta U21". Malta FA. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  12. "VAATA JÄRELE: U19 koondis lõpetas Balti turniiri võiduga" (in Estonian). soccernet.ee. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
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