Edgaras Utkus

Edgaras Utkus

Personal information
Date of birth	(2000-06-22) 22 June 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth	Radviliškis, Lithuania
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder, defender
Team information
Current team	Cercle Brugge
Number	3
Youth career
2015–2018	NFA
2018–2019	Monaco
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2021	Monaco B	8	(0)
2021–	Cercle Brugge	55	(4)
International career‡
2016	Lithuania U16	2	(0)
2015–2016	Lithuania U17	11	(1)
2017	Lithuania U18	4	(1)
2017–2018	Lithuania U19	15	(3)
2018–2021	Lithuania U21	11	(1)
2020–	Lithuania	16	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Edgaras Utkus (born 22 June 2000) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or defender for Cercle Brugge and the Lithuania national team. ^[1]

Career

Monaco

In 2019, Utkus signed his first professional contract with Monaco. In France he played from summer of the 2019. ^{[2] [3] [4]} He appeared for the reserves, competing in Championnat National 2.

Cercle Brugge

In the summer of 2021, Utkus moved to Belgian First Division A club Cercle Brugge. ^[5] He made his debut on 24 July 2021 in a match against Beerschot which was interrupted after 55 minutes due to heavy rainfall. ^[6] The match was continued on 27 July, and ended in a 1–0 win for Cercle. Despite being a midfielder, Utkus lined up in the right side of central defense, where he kept a clean sheet. ^[7]

On 4 August 2022, Cercle Brugge announced that Utkus had suffered a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament and a tear in the meniscus of his knee, which required surgery. ^[8] The injury effectively ended his season. ^{[9] [10]} Despite the severity of his injury, he extended his contract with the club on 23 April 2023, signing a deal until 2026. ^[11]

International career

Utkus made his international debut for the Lithuania national team on 11 November 2020 in a friendly match against the Faroe Islands. ^[12]

Career statistics

International

As of 11 June 2022 ^[12]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Lithuania	2020	2	0
	2021	3	0
	2022	5	0
	2023	4	0
Total		14	0

References

1. Edgaras Utkus at WorldFootball.net
2. "Le jeune Lituanien Edgaras Utkus à Monaco". L'Équipe (in French). 9 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
3. "Oficialu: "Monaco" žvaigždyne – parašą padėjęs Lietuvos talentas". 15min.lt/sportas (in Lithuanian). 7 August 2018.
4. "Oficialu: perspektyvus lietuvis pasirašė sutartį su Prancūzijos futbolo gigantu Monaco". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 6 August 2019.
5. "Edgaras Utkus and Boris Popovic to Cercle Brugge". AS Monaco. 20 July 2021.
6. Lambrecht, Yannick (24 July 2021). "Regen is spelbreker in het Kiel, Beerschot en Cercle maken match dinsdag af". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Flemish).
7. "Beerschot vs. Cercle Brugge - 27 July 2021 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
8. "Medische update: Edgaras Utkus". Cercle Brugge (Press release) (in Flemish). 2 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022.
9. "Edgaras Utkus ziet het einde van zijn lange revalidatie". De Krant van West-Vlaanderen (in Dutch). 22 April 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
10. Verweirder, Luc (1 June 2023). "Edgaras Utkus (Cercle Brugge) na verloren seizoen opnieuw fit: "Al is het voor kwartiertje, ik ben klaar"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Flemish). Retrieved 4 June 2023.
11. Vandecauter, Joachim (7 April 2023). "Opvallend: Cercle Brugge verlengt het contract van speler die al het hele seizoen uit is". Voetbalkrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
12. Lithuania v Faroe Islands

External links

• Edgaras Utkus at Soccerway