Žan Celar

Žan Celar
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-03-14) 14 March 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Kranj, Slovenia[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Queens Park Rangers
Number 18
Youth career
0000–2012 Šenčur
2013–2014 Triglav Kranj
2014–2017 Maribor
2017–2019 Roma Primavera
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Maribor 1 (0)
2018–2021 Roma 1 (0)
2019–2020 → Cittadella (loan) 10 (1)
2020–2021 → Cremonese (loan) 38 (4)
2021–2024 Lugano 95 (40)
2024– Queens Park Rangers 17 (2)
International career‡
2014 Slovenia U16 4 (1)
2015–2016 Slovenia U17 16 (6)
2016–2017 Slovenia U18 11 (4)
2017 Slovenia U19 5 (5)
2019–2021 Slovenia U21 10 (1)
2021– Slovenia 17 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 November 2024

Žan Celar (born 14 March 1999) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers and the Slovenia national team.

Club career

Celar made his Serie A debut for Roma on 11 March 2019 in a game against Empoli, as an 86th-minute substitute for Patrik Schick.[2]

On 10 July 2019, Celar joined Serie B club Cittadella on loan until January 2020.[3] On 30 January 2020, he moved on loan to Cremonese.[4] After scoring two goals in eleven appearances during the 2019–20 Serie B season, his loan was extended for another season in August 2020.[5][6]

In the summer of 2021, Celar joined Swiss Super League club Lugano on a contract until 2025, joining his countryman Sandi Lovrić. He was given the number 19 jersey.[7] In his first season with the club, Celar won the 2021–22 Swiss Cup, and also scored in the final against St. Gallen as Lugano won 4–1.[8] Overall, he scored 40 goals in 95 appearances in the Swiss Super League over the course of three seasons, and was also the league's top scorer in the 2023–24 season.[9]

Queens Park Rangers

On 19 July 2024, Celar transferred to the EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee.[9][10] He made his debut for the club on 10 August in a 3–1 loss against West Bromwich Albion.[11] On 23 November 2024, having still yet to score for the club, Celar missed a penalty in a 1–1 draw with Stoke City.[12] Having retained the support of manager Martí Cifuentes following the miss,[13] he scored twice in the following match as QPR secured their second league win of the season.[14]

International career

Between 2014 and 2021, Celar played for all Slovenian youth teams from under-16 to under-21, making 46 appearances for all teams combined and scoring 17 goals.[15]

On 14 November 2021, Celar debuted for the senior team in a World Cup qualifying match against Cyprus.[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 June 2024[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Maribor 2015–16 PrvaLiga 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Roma 2018–19 Serie A 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Cittadella (loan) 2019–20 Serie B 10 1 3 2 — 13 3
Cremonese (loan) 2019–20 Serie B 11 2 — — 11 2
2020–21 27 2 2 0 — 29 2
Total 38 4 2 0 0 0 40 4
Lugano 2021–22 Swiss Super League 29 10 5 4 — 34 14
2022–23 30 16 3 0 1[a] 0 34 16
2023–24 36 14 5 6 7[b] 1 48 21
Total 95 40 13 10 8 1 116 51
Career total 145 45 18 12 8 1 171 58
  1. ^ Appearance in UEFA Europa Conference League
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, five appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Lugano

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b "Žan Celar". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Roma vs. Empoli – 11 March 2019". Soccerway. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Cittadella, arriva il centravanti Celar dalla Roma". tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian). 11 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Celar nuovo attaccante grigiorosso" (Press release) (in Italian). U.S. Cremonese. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Celar ancora in grigiorosso" (Press release) (in Italian). U.S. Cremonese. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Ufficiale: la Cremonese rinnova il prestito di Zan Celar". IlRomanista.eu (in Italian). 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Lovrić in Celar bosta soigralca" (in Slovenian). Siol. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b Mlakar, Anže (15 May 2022). "Celar poskrbel za lovoriko Lugana". Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Striker Žan Celar signs for the R's". Queens Park Rangers F.C. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  10. ^ "QPR sign Slovenia striker Zan Celar from Lugano". BBC Sport. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Queens Park Rangers 1–3 West Bromwich Albion: Josh Maja hits hat-trick as Baggies secure opening win". Sky Sports. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Queens Park Rangers 1–1 Stoke City: QPR still seek first home win". BBC Sport. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  13. ^ Evans, Dan (23 November 2024). "Marti Cifuentes explains why Zan Celar took QPR penalty in Stoke City draw". London News Online. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  14. ^ Marsh, Philip (27 November 2024). "Celar double moves QPR off bottom of Championship with win at Cardiff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Žan Celar – Nogometna zveza Slovenije" (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Slovenija za konec nogometnih kvalifikacij premagala Ciper". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). 14 November 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  17. ^ Žan Celar at Soccerway