Kevin Zefi
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 February 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Roma U19 | ||
| Number | 34 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2019 | St. Kevin's Boys | ||
| 2019–2021 | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 2021–2024 | Inter Milan | ||
| 2024– | Roma | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | Shamrock Rovers II | 11 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2020 | Republic of Ireland U15 | 4 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Republic of Ireland U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 2021–2023 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 11 | (1) |
| 2024– | Republic of Ireland U21 | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:30, 28 March 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:10, 17 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
Kevin Zefi (born 11 February 2005) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for the under-19 team of Serie A club Roma.[1]
Early and personal life
[edit]Zefi was born in Dublin and grew up in the Clonsilla area.[2] He attended Luttrellstown Community College.[2] He is of Albanian descent.[3]
Club career
[edit]Zefi began his career with Shamrock Rovers. In 2020 he was linked with a transfer away from the club, with Italian club Inter Milan and Dutch club PSV said to be interested.[4][5]
He began his senior career with Shamrock Rovers II in the League of Ireland First Division in the 2020 season,[6] becoming the youngest ever scorer in the League of Ireland, at the age of 15 years 206 days.[7][8] He had also been Shamrock Rovers II's youngest ever player, until that record was beaten by 14-year-old Sam Curtis in October 2020.[9]
He moved to Italian club Inter Milan in August 2021.[10][11] In December 2021 he scored a hat-trick for Inter's youth team.[12][13]
In February 2022 he spoke positively about his move to Italy, encouraging other young Irish players to do the same.[14]
In January 2024, Zefi joined fellow Italian club Roma on a permanent deal.[15][16]
International career
[edit]Zefi has played for the Republic of Ireland at under-15, under-17 and under-19 level.[1][17] In November 2024, he received his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for their two friendlies against Sweden U21 in Marbella, Spain.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kevin Zefi at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b "Academy Stars". Shamrock Rovers FC.
- ^ Fallon, John (25 January 2022). "Teenage kicks: The latest generation of Irish gems providing hope for our football future". Irish Examiner.
- ^ "Ireland underage and Shamrock Rovers star lined up for sensational Inter Milan move". Extra.ie. 26 July 2020.
- ^ O'Hehir, Paul (6 March 2020). "Rovers starlet Zefi could be lured abroad by Dutch side PSV Eindhoven". DublinLive.
- ^ Kevin Zefi at Soccerway
- ^ Moore, Paul. "WATCH: 15-year-old Kevin Zefi of Shamrock Rovers is now the youngest scorer in LOI history". Balls.ie.
- ^ Team, The42 (4 September 2020). "15-year-old on target in Shamrock Rovers II loss". The42.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Shamrock Rovers give first start to 14-year-old Sam Curtis in First Division". ExtraTime.ie.
- ^ Rowan, Paul. "Kevin Zefi's move to Inter Milan is a big moment for the teenager and Irish game as a whole" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ^ Taylor, Mark (7 September 2021). "Kevin Zefi - Ireland wonderkid tipped for stardom after Inter Milan transfer". mirror.
- ^ O'Donoghue, Conor. "Watch: 16-year-old Dubliner Kevin Zefi net three for Inter Milan". The Irish Post.
- ^ Connaughton, Gary. "Watch: Ireland's Kevin Zefi Nets Eye-Catching Hat-Trick For Inter Milan". Balls.ie.
- ^ "'I would advise people to go' - Kevin Zefi blazing a trail to Italy for Irish kids to follow in move to Inter Milan". independent.
- ^ Canicchio, Lorenzo (13 January 2024). "Roma, ecco l'ufficialità. Dall'Inter arriva Kevin Zefi". Gazzetta Regionale (in Italian). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Cooney, Gavin (13 January 2024). "Kevin Zefi swaps Inter Milan for Roma, Rovers confirm return of Trevor Clarke". The 42. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Kevin Zefi brace helps Ireland U15s claim victory over England at St George's Park". independent.
- ^ "Jim Crawford names Under-21 squad for Sweden friendlies". www.fai.ie.
- 2005 births
- Living people
- Irish people of Albanian descent
- Republic of Ireland men's association footballers
- Men's association football wingers
- Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers
- League of Ireland players
- Shamrock Rovers F.C. players
- Inter Milan players
- AS Roma players
- Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers
- Irish expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Association footballers from Dublin (city)
- 21st-century Irish sportsmen
- Republic of Ireland men's under-21 international footballers