Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 12 December 1989 | ||
Place of birth | Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward, Winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Fortuna Sittard | ||
Number | 50 | ||
Youth career | |||
2001–2008 | RNK Split | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2008–2016 | RNK Split | 100 | (18) |
2010 | → Junak Sinj (loan) | 7 | (0) |
2016 | Balıkesirspor | 14 | (2) |
2016–2018 | Hajduk Split | 44 | (20) |
2018 | Shabab Al-Ahli | 10 | (2) |
2018–2022 | Brøndby | 24 | (4) |
2020 | → Esbjerg (loan) | 7 | (0) |
2020–2022 | → Osijek (loan) | 30 | (4) |
2022 | Debrecen | 0 | (0) |
2022–2024 | Istra 1961 | 42 | (18) |
2024– | Fortuna Sittard | 0 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 March 2024 |
Ante Erceg (born 12 December 1989) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Dutch Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard.
Erceg went through the youth system at RNK Split, graduating to the senior squad in 2008. In his first senior season, he immediately played a notable role. Erceg quickly became a fan favourite, to such a degree that the fan group, the Crveni đavoli (Red Devils) awarded him the then newly established award for the most combative player, the Splitski dišpet . [1] Also, as a kind of fan recognition to Erceg for his commitment and fighting spirit, an interview with him was featured in the second issue of the Red Devils fan newspaper. [2] He mainly played as a midfielder while at RNK Split. In the second half of the 2009–10 season, Erceg was briefly sent on loan to Junak Sinj, where he made seven appearances. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, he returned to Stadion Park Mladeži to continue playing for HNK Split.
He spent half a season at Turkish club Balıkesirspor, [3] before returning to Croatia to sign for HNK Split's rivals, Hajduk Split on 18 June 2016. [4] Erceg made his Hajduk debut on 17 July, playing 45 minutes in a 2–0 win over HNK Cibalia in the first day of the Prva HNL. [5] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win over FC Oleksandriya in the third qualifying round of the 2016–17 Europa League. [6] The goal was Hajduk's 300th goal in European competition. [7]
On 8 January 2018, Erceg signed with Dubai club Shabab Al-Ahli, competing in the UAE Pro-League. [8]
After a half-year spell Shabab Al-Ahli, Erceg signed a four-year contract with Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF on 6 June 2018, where he was seen to be the replacement of Teemu Pukki who had signed with Norwich City. [9] On 16 July 2018, he scored his first goal for Brøndby in a 2–0 win over Randers. [10] He would, however, struggle to make the starting lineup and scored only four goals in 23 appearances in the Superliga for Brøndby. [11]
On 22 January 2020, Erceg was loaned out to Esbjerg fB for the rest of the season. [12] Following his loan, he stated that he was happy with the move and that Esbjerg was "a big club". [13] He made his debut on 14 February, starting in a 1–0 win over F.C. Copenhagen. [14] After making seven appearances and scoring no goals, he returned to Brøndby, as Esbjerg suffered relegation from the Superliga. [15] [16]
Erceg joined Croatian First Football League club NK Osijek on 19 August 2020, on a season-long loan with an option to buy. [17] [18] The following April, the Croatian club announced they will not be buying Erceg, but that they are looking into options of retaining his services for the future. [19] In May 2021, Erceg ruptured his right knee ligaments during training, requiring knee reconstruction surgery. [20] On 20 May, it was announced that his loan deal with Osijek had been extended by another season. [11]
On 25 May 2022, Erceg signed a one-year contract with Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Debreceni VSC, with an option for one further year. [21] His contract was terminated by mutual consent after two months at the club, on 21 July. He had not made his debut for the club at that point. [22]
Erceg joined Croatian Football League club Istra 1961 on 1 August 2022, signing a one-year deal. [23] He made his debut for the club on 6 August against his former club Osijek, replacing Advan Kadušić in the 66th minute in a late 1–0 win. [24] On 26 August, Erceg scored his first goals for Istra, a brace, after coming on as a 66th-minute substitute for Monsef Bakrar to secure a late 2–0 away victory against Gorica at Stadion Radnik. [25] He would also score in three consecutive games in September 2022, against Lokomotiva, [26] Slaven [27] and his former side Hajduk [28] to bring his league goal tally to five in six appearances. [29] He finished his first season at the club with 12 goals in 22 appearances. [15]
On 28 May 2024, Erceg signed a two-year contract with Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands. [30]
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Split city derby or Derby of St. Duje is the name given to matches between Hajduk and RNK, two clubs from the Adriatic city of Split. The teams are supported by their fanbases called Hajduk's Torcida and Split's Crveni đavoli. Games are played on two nearby stadiums, Poljud and Park Mladeži.
The 2017–18 season was the 107th season in Hajduk Split's history and their twenty-seventh in the Prva HNL. Their 3rd-place finish in the 2016–17 season means it was their 27th successive season playing in the Prva HNL.
The 2017–18 season is Dinamo Zagreb's 27th season in the Croatian First Division and 105th year in existence as a football club.
The 2019–20 season was the 74th season in HNK Rijeka’s history. It was their 29th successive season in the Croatian First Football League, and 46th successive top tier season.
The 2020–21 Croatian First Football League was the 30th season of the Croatian First Football League, the top national championship for men's association football teams in Croatia, since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 14 August 2020 and finished on 22 May 2021.
The 2020–21 NK Osijek season was the club's 107th season in existence and the 30th consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football.
The 2020–21 season was the 75th season in HNK Rijeka’s history. It was their 30th successive season in the Croatian First Football League, and 47th successive top tier season.
The 2020–21 HNK Gorica season was the club's 12th season in existence and the 3rd consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football.
The 2020–21 NK Istra 1961 season was the club's 60th season in existence and the 12th consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football.
The 2021–22 Croatian First Football League was the 31st season of the Croatian First Football League, the national championship for men's association football teams in Croatia, since its establishment in 1992. Contested by 10 teams, the season started on 16 July 2021 and ended on 21 May 2022. Dinamo Zagreb, the defending champions, successfully defended their title.
The 2021–22 NK Osijek season was the club's 108th season in existence and the 31st consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football.
The 2021–22 HNK Gorica season was the club's 13th season in existence and the 4th consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football.
The 2022–23 NK Istra 1961 season was the club's 62nd season in existence and the 14th consecutive season in the top flight of Croatian football.