Kacper Kozłowski (footballer)

Kacper Kozłowski
Kacper Kozłowski with Vitesse in 2022
Kacper Kozłowski with Vitesse in 2022
Personal information
Full name Kacper Szymon Kozłowski[1]
Date of birth (2003-10-16) 16 October 2003
Place of birth Koszalin, Poland
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Gaziantep
Number 10
Youth career
2013–2016 Bałtyk Koszalin
2016–2018 Pogoń Szczecin
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Pogoń Szczecin II 25 (5)
2019–2022 Pogoń Szczecin 40 (4)
2022–2024 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 (0)
2022 → Union SG (loan) 9 (0)
2022–2023 → Vitesse (loan) 29 (2)
2023–2024 → Vitesse (loan) 30 (3)
2024– Gaziantep 27 (4)
International career‡
2017–2018 Poland U15 8 (5)
2018–2019 Poland U17 17 (6)
2020 Poland U19 1 (0)
2021–2025 Poland U21 19 (3)
2021– Poland 6 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:02, 2 June 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 09:45, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

Kacper Szymon Kozłowski (born 16 October 2003) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Gaziantep and the Poland national team.

Club career

Kozłowski receiving a bronze medal in 2020–21 Ekstraklasa season during his time at Pogoń Szczecin

Kozłowski started his career with Pogoń Szczecin. In January 2022, he transferred to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported fee of £8,000,000, where he was immediately loaned to Brighton's sister club Union SG of Belgian First Division A for the rest of the season.[3][4]

In August 2022, Kozłowski joined Vitesse in the Netherlands on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season.[5] On 18 July 2023, he rejoined Vitesse on another season-long loan spell.[6]

On 19 July 2024, Kozłowski left Brighton to join Turkish club Gaziantep permanently for an undisclosed fee.[7]

International career

On 28 March 2021, Kozłowski debuted for the Polish senior team in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against Andorra, which ended in a 3–0 victory for the Poles.[8] At the age of 17 years and 163 days, he became the second youngest Polish international debutant behind Włodzimierz Lubański, who debuted at the age of 16 years and 188 days.[8]

Kozłowski was included in Poland's squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[9] In a 1–1 draw against Spain on 20 June 2021, he became the youngest footballer of any nationality to play at a European Championship – aged 17 years and 246 days – breaking the previous record of Jude Bellingham, who had broken the same record only six days prior.[10] He kept the record until 2024, when Lamine Yamal debuted at the European Championship at 16 years and 338 days.[11]

Kozłowski was named in the provisional squad for Poland for the 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign,[12] but he was not included in the final 26-man squad.[13]

Personal life

On 10 January 2020, Kozłowski suffered a traffic accident that almost ended his football career.[14] Whilst on his way to training for Pogon Szczecin with two of his teammates, their car was involved in a crash. Suffering the most severe injuries of the three, Kozłowski had broken his pelvis and broke three vertebrae in his lower back. Despite the near life-ending and career-threatening injury, he eventually recovered and returned to football. Speaking to Goal in 2021 about the accident, he said: "I couldn't train for almost half a year. It was a difficult time, but I focus on the here and now, not the past" and stated that the experience might help him mentally in the future having gone through it.[15]

In the 2022 NXGN 50, Kozłowski was ranked as the 19th best football wonderkid.[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Pogoń Szczecin II 2018–19[17] III liga, group II 10 1 — — — — 10 1
2019–20[18] III liga, group II 10 2 — — — — 10 2
2020–21[19] III liga, group II 5 2 — — — — 5 2
Total 25 5 — — — — 25 5
Pogoń Szczecin 2018–19[17] Ekstraklasa 1 0 0 0 — — — 1 0
2019–20[18] Ekstraklasa 3 0 0 0 — — — 3 0
2020–21[19] Ekstraklasa 20 1 0 0 — — — 20 1
2021–22[20] Ekstraklasa 16 3 1 0 — 2[b] 0 — 19 3
Total 40 4 1 0 — 2 0 — 43 4
Union SG (loan) 2021–22 Belgian First Division A 9 0 0 0 — — — 9 0
Vitesse (loan) 2022–23[21] Eredivisie 29 2 1 0 — — — 30 2
2023–24[22] Eredivisie 30 3 3 0 — — — 33 3
Total 59 5 4 0 — — — 63 5
Gaziantep 2024–25 Süper Lig 27 4 2 0 — — — 29 4
Career total 160 18 7 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 169 18
  1. ^ Includes Polish Cup, KNVB Cup, Turkish Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

As of match played 9 October 2021
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Poland
2021 6 0
Total 6 0

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Updated squad lists for 2021/22 Premier League". Premier League. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Kacper Kozłowski: Profile". Gaziantep F.K. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Kacper Kozłowski zawodnikiem Brighton". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 5 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Kacper Kozlowski: Poland midfielder signs for Brighton but teenager goes straight out on loan". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Vitesse Heet Met Kacper Kozlowski Jongste Ek-Speler Ooit Welkom" (in Dutch). Vitesse. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Vitesse en Kacper Kozlowski geven geslaagd seizoen vervolg" (in Dutch). Vitesse. 18 July 2023.
  7. ^ Karaszewski, Artur (19 July 2024). "Oficjalnie: Kacper Kozłowski ma nowy klub. Definitywnie odszedł z Brighton". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Polska 3–0 Andorra". Interia (in Polish). 29 March 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Poland Euro 2020 squad: Full team profile". FourFourTwo. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Poland duo make history against Spain to take Euro 2020 Group E to an exciting final day". Squawka. 19 June 2021.
  11. ^ Pellizzeri, Teo (15 June 2024). "Prodigy Lamine Yamal breaks record as youngest ever UEFA Euro player". Optus Sport.
  12. ^ "Znamy szeroką kadrę reprezentacji Polski na mundial w Katarze!" [We know the extended squad of the Polish national team for the World Cup in Qatar!] (in Polish). Polish Football Association. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz ogłosił kadrę na mundial w Katarze" [Czesław Michniewicz has announced the team for the World Cup in Qatar] (in Polish). Polish Football Association. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  14. ^ Barker, Gabby (22 June 2021). "A traffic accident almost removed the youngest from the European Championship". Sports Finding. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Kacper Kozlowski: The 'Polish Pogba' already on Man Utd's radar". Goal. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  16. ^ "NXGN 2022: The 50 best wonderkids in football". Goal. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Sezon 2018/19" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Sezon 2019/20" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Sezon 2020/21" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Sezon 2021/22". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Games played by Kacper Kozłowski in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Games played by Kacper Kozłowski in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Robert Lewandowski piłkarzem 2021 roku! Wyniki plebiscytu tygodnika "Piłka Nożna"". Polsat Sport (in Polish). 29 January 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Młodzieżowiec Grudnia PKO Banku Polskiego 2020: Kacper Kozłowski" (in Polish). Ekstraklasa. 28 December 2020. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
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