Kevin Zefi

Last updated

Kevin Zefi
Personal information
Date of birth (2005-02-11) 11 February 2005 (age 19)
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
0000–2019 St. Kevin's Boys
2019–2021 Shamrock Rovers
2021–2024 Inter Milan
2024– Roma
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(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)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:30, 28 March 2023 (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]

Contents

Early and personal life

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

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

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]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Kevin Zefi at WorldFootball.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. 1 2 "Academy Stars". Shamrock Rovers FC.
  3. ↑ Fallon, John (25 January 2022). "Teenage kicks: The latest generation of Irish gems providing hope for our football future". Irish Examiner.
  4. ↑ "Ireland underage and Shamrock Rovers star lined up for sensational Inter Milan move". Extra.ie. 26 July 2020.
  5. ↑ O'Hehir, Paul (6 March 2020). "Rovers starlet Zefi could be lured abroad by Dutch side PSV Eindhoven". DublinLive.
  6. ↑ Kevin Zefi at Soccerway OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  7. ↑ Moore, Paul. "WATCH: 15-year-old Kevin Zefi of Shamrock Rovers is now the youngest scorer in LOI history". Balls.ie.
  8. ↑ 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)
  9. ↑ "Shamrock Rovers give first start to 14-year-old Sam Curtis in First Division". ExtraTime.ie.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Taylor, Mark (7 September 2021). "Kevin Zefi - Ireland wonderkid tipped for stardom after Inter Milan transfer". mirror.
  12. ↑ O'Donoghue, Conor. "Watch: 16-year-old Dubliner Kevin Zefi net three for Inter Milan". The Irish Post.
  13. ↑ Connaughton, Gary. "Watch: Ireland's Kevin Zefi Nets Eye-Catching Hat-Trick For Inter Milan". Balls.ie.
  14. ↑ "'I would advise people to go' - Kevin Zefi blazing a trail to Italy for Irish kids to follow in move to Inter Milan". independent.
  15. ↑ Canicchio, Lorenzo (13 January 2024). "Roma, ecco l'ufficialità. Dall'Inter arriva Kevin Zefi". Gazzetta Regionale (in Italian). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  16. ↑ Cooney, Gavin (13 January 2024). "Kevin Zefi swaps Inter Milan for Roma, Rovers confirm return of Trevor Clarke". The 42. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Kevin Zefi brace helps Ireland U15s claim victory over England at St George's Park". independent.
  18. ↑ "Jim Crawford names Under-21 squad for Sweden friendlies". www.fai.ie.
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