David Strelec

David Strelec

Strelec playing for Slovakia in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(2001-04-04) 4 April 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth	Nové Zámky, Slovakia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [1]
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Middlesbrough
Number	13
Youth career
2007–2018	Slovan Bratislava
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2021	Slovan Bratislava	70	(18)
2021–2024	Spezia	20	(4)
2023	→ Reggina (loan)	16	(3)
2023–2024	→ Slovan Bratislava (loan)	41	(14)
2024–2025	Slovan Bratislava	56	(30)
2025–	Middlesbrough F.C.	0	(0)
International career‡
2016–2017	Slovakia U16
2017–2018	Slovakia U17	11	(4)
2018	Slovakia U18	3	(1)
2018	Slovakia U19	4	(4)
2019–2022	Slovakia U21	13	(7)
2021–	Slovakia	30	(7)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:04, 1 September 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:14, 10 June 2025 (UTC)

David Strelec (born 4 April 2001) is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough and the Slovakia national team.

Club career

Strelec with Spezia in 2022

Strelec made his Fortuna Liga debut for ŠK Slovan Bratislava against Zemplín Michalovce on 5 August 2018. ^[2] He transferred to Spezia Calcio in the summer of 2021, ^[3] signing a five-year contract with the Italian club on the last day of the transfer window. ^[4] On 31 January 2023, Strelec joined Serie B club Reggina on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season. ^[5] He returned to Spezia at the end of his loan. ^[6] Strelec headed back to Slovan Bratislava in the summer of 2023 on loan with an option to buy, which Slovan exercised in May 2024, signing Strelec to a four-year contract. ^[7]

In the first half of the 2024–25 Slovak First Football League, Strelec scored 11 times in 19 matches. ^[8] On 5 November 2024, Strelec scored the opening goal in a 1-4 defeat by GNK Dinamo in the UEFA Champions League. ^[9] He scored another goal in that season's competition against Spanish outfit Atlético Madrid. In the January 2025 transfer window, Strelec was the subject of transfer interest from British sides Middlesbrough and Celtic. ^[8]

On 1 September 2025, Strelec signed for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough on a five-year deal. ^[10] He was signed for an upfront fee of £6.5 million with a further £2.5 million in add-ons. 10

International career

In March 2021, Strelec received his first call-up to Slovak senior national team by Štefan Tarkovič for three 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures against Cyprus, Malta, and Russia. ^[11] He made his debut on 24 March in a goalless draw against Cyprus, replacing Ondrej Duda after 83 minutes. ^{[12] [13]} He scored his first international goal against Malta, scoring with his head to reduce Malta's lead to 2–1, in a match which finished 2–2. ^[14]

In November 2024, Strelec scored the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute of a UEFA Nations League match against Estonia in Trnava. This was his 4th goal for Slovakia in the league phase. ^[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 28 August 2025 ^[16]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup [a]		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Slovan Bratislava	2018–19	Slovak First Football League	13	2	—		—		—		13	2
	2019–20		12	4	3	1	2 [b]	0	—		17	5
	2020–21		25	9	4	2	—		—		29	11
	2021–22		4	0	—		7 [c]	0	—		11	0
	Total		54	15	7	3	9	0	—		70	18
Spezia	2021–22	Serie A	10	1	1	0	—		—		11	1
	2022–23		7	0	2	3	—		—		9	3
	Total		17	1	3	3	0	0	0	0	20	4
Reggina (loan)	2022–23	Serie B	15	3	0	0	—		1 [d]	0	16	3
Slovan Bratislava (loan)	2023–24	Slovak First Football League	28	11	1	1	12 [e]	2	—		41	14
Slovan Bratislava	2024–25	Slovak First Football League	29	20	2	0	16 [f]	5	—		47	25
	2025–26		3	1	0	0	6 [g]	4	—		9	5
	Total		60	32	3	1	34	11	0	0	97	44
Career total			147	50	13	7	43	11	1	0	203	69

1. Includes Slovak Cup, Coppa Italia
2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
3. Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
4. Appearance in Serie B play-offs
5. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League, eight appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
6. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
7. Four appearances and three goals in UEFA Champions League, two appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 10 June 2025 ^[17]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Slovakia	2021	10	2
	2022	6	0
	2023	1	0
	2024	11	5
	2025	2	0
Total		30	7

Honours

Slovan Bratislava

• Slovak Cup: 2019–20, ^[18] 2020–21 ^[19]

Individual

• Peter Dubovský Award: 2020 ^[20]
• Slovak Super Liga Team of the Season: 2020–21 ^[21]
• Slovak Super Liga U-21 Team of the Season: 2020–21 ^[21]

References

1. "David Strelec". Spezia Calcio. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
2. "MFK Zemplín Michalovce 1–2 ŠK Slovan Bratislava". Sme (in Slovak). Petit Press. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
3. "Je to oficiálne. Strelec odchádza zo Slovana, bude hrať v Taliansku". Sme (in Slovak). 31 August 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
4. "Spezia: Spezia si rinforza, prese due punte e un difensore". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (in Italian). 31 August 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
5. "David Strelec è un Amaranto". Reggina 1914 (in Italian). 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023.
6. "Ex Reggina, Strelec destinato a lasciare l'Italia". tiforeggina.it (in Italian). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
7. "Slovan Bratislava využil opciu na prestup Davida Strelca z talianskej Spezie a podpísal s ním zmluvu do roku 2028". Denník N (in Slovak). 17 May 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
8. "Po zmarenom prestupe prišiel sarkazmus, David Strelec: Cítim sa fantasticky, nikdy mi nebolo lepšie". sport.aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 10 February 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
9. UEFA.com. "S. Bratislava vs GNK Dinamo: UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League phase". UEFA . Retrieved 7 November 2024.
10. "Slovak International David Strelec Joins Boro". www.mfc.co.uk. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
11. "Štefan Tarkovič oznámil nomináciu na úvodné kvalifikačné zápasy na MS 2022". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Ringier Axel Springier Slovakia. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
12. "Kvalifikácia MS 2022: Slovensko po bezduchom výkone v nudnom zápase iba remizovalo s Cyprom". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Ringier Axel Springier Slovakia. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
13. "Duda zaujal a potom zhasol. Nahradiť Hamšíka? Nemožné (hodnotenie)". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Ringier Axel Springier Slovakia. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
14. "David Strelec na premiérový gól nebude spomínať rád: Každý si musí vstúpiť do svedomia". sport.aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 28 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
15. "VIDEO: Slováci čakali na gól vyše 70 minút. Proti Estónsku dodržali tesnú tradíciu". Sme (in Slovak). 19 November 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
16. David Strelec at Soccerway. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
17. "David Strelec". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
18. "ŠK SLOVAN BRATISLAVA FUTBAL 1-0 MFK RUŽOMBEROK". SportNet (in Slovak). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
19. "MŠK ŽILINA 1-2PP ŠK SLOVAN BRATISLAVA FUTBAL". SportNet (in Slovak). 19 May 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
20. "Video: Jeho nadvláda pokračuje: Milan Škriniar štvrtýkrát po sebe ovládol anketu Futbalista roka!". Športky (in Slovak). 20 March 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
21. "Zsolt Kalmar najlepsim hracom..." Športky (in Slovak). 23 May 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.

External links

• ŠK Slovan Bratislava official club profile (in Slovak)
• Futbalnet profile (in Slovak)
• Ligy.sk profile (in Slovak)
• David Strelec at the Slovak First Football League (in Slovak)