Liban Abdi

Liban Abdi

Abdi with Ferencváros
Personal information
Full name Liban Abdi Ali
Date of birth (1988-10-05) 5 October 1988
Place of birth Burao, Somalia
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Left winger
Club information
Current team
 Haugesund
Number 7
Youth career
Vålerenga
Skeid
2004–2007 Sheffield United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Sheffield United 0 (0)
2008–2010 → Ferencváros (loan) 10 (1)
2010–2012 Ferencváros 29 (2)
2012–2013 Olhanense 16 (4)
2013–2014 Académica de Coimbra 11 (0)
2014–2015 Çaykur Rizespor 13 (1)
2015 → Levski Sofia (loan) 9 (2)
2016– Haugesund 13 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 November 2016.


Liban Abdi (Somali: Liibaan Cabdi, Arabic: لبان عبدي‎‎; born 5 October 1988) is a Somalian footballer, who is also eligible to play for Norway. He is now playing at FK Haugesund in his home country. He previously played for Sheffield United in England, for Ferencváros in Hungary and for Olhanense in Portugal.

Abdi was born in Somalia, but grew up in Norway and holds Norwegian citizenship.[1]

Early life

Abdi was born in Burao, Somalia, in 1988. He spent most of his childhood in Oslo, Norway, where he attended both primary and secondary school. He lived in Stovner, an eastern borough in Oslo.

Career

Club career

Abdi moved to England with his family at the age of 14, and after a year in England he joined Sheffield United's youth academy.[2] Abdi was the first Somali to be awarded a professional football contract at Sheffield United after impressing with the club's Academy. Following spells with Newport Pagnell Town and Buckingham Town, he was picked up by United when he subsequently moved to Sheffield with the assistance of the Football Unites, Racism Divides program.

Having signed a two-year contract in the summer of 2008, Abdi was loaned out to the Blades' sister club, Ferencváros, for the following season to gain first team experience.[3] On his return, and after failing to break into the first team at Bramall Lane, he was released by Sheffield United in July 2010.[4]

He then joined Ferencváros on a permanent basis, spending two seasons with the club, before moving to Portuguese Primeira Liga club Olhanense in the 2012 close season.

International career

Abdi is eligible to play for both Somalia and Norway but has not represented any of them although he has stated that he wants to play for Norway.[5] When Norway national team coach Egil "Drillo" Olsen announced his squad for the friendly match against Greece in August 2012, Drillo said that he had never seen Abdi in action despite the fact that he was playing in Portugal.[1] Two months later Drillo stated that Abdi was not good enough for the Norwegian team, when announcing his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Cyprus.[6]

References

Infobox statistics
General
  1. 1 2 Farshchian, Aslân W.A. (31 August 2012). "Spiller fast i Portugal – ikke sett av Drillo" [Playing regularly in Portugal – Drillo hasn't watched him]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Hjelvik, Eirik Nesset (14 July 2011). "Norges ukjente proff profil i ungarsk toppklubb". Sunnmørsposten. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Blades youngsters' switch". Sheffield United F.C. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Transfers". Sheffield United F.C. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  5. ↑ Farshchian, Aslân W.A. (2 September 2012). "Liban Abdi scoret mot Porto: – Min største kamp". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Stormoen, Stein-Erik (2 October 2012). "Drillo om Portugal-Abdi: – Ikke god nok" [Drillo about Portugal-Abdi: – Not good enough]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 October 2012.
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