Ádám Szalai

The native form of this personal name is Szalai Ádám. This article uses the Western name order.

Ádám Szalai

Personal information
Full name	Ádám Szalai
Date of birth	9 December 1987 (1987-12-09)
Place of birth	Budapest, Hungary
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Mainz 05
Number	28
Youth career
1994–2003	Budapest Honvéd
2003–2004	Újpest
2004–2006	Stuttgart
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2007	Stuttgart II	33	(5)
2007–2010	Real Madrid Castilla	71	(23)
2010	→ Mainz 05 (loan)	15	(1)
2010–	Mainz 05	21	(4)
National team‡
2009–	Hungary	6	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 January 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 January 2012

Ádám Szalai (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈaːdaːm ˈsɒlɒi]; born 9 December 1987) is a Hungarian footballer who plays for German club Mainz 05 as a striker.

Club career

Szalai started his football career in his hometown, Budapest, playing for the youths of NB I sides Honvéd and Újpest FC. In 2004, he went to Germany to join the youth and then the reserve team of Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart. In the 2006/2007 season, he scored five times in 33 appearances for VfB II in the third-tier Regionalliga Süd. In August 2007, he was transferred to Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team of Real Madrid, for approximately 500 000 €.

On 9 January 2010 Real Madrid loaned the Hungarian forward to 1. FSV Mainz 05 until June 2010. Szalai made his team debut as a 63rd-minute substitute in a 2–4 away lost over Bayer Leverkusen. He scored his first goal for Mainz in a 1–0 win over Borussia Dortmund on 10 April 2010. He scored his second goal against Bayern on 25 September 2010 in a 2-1 away win, with a powerful shot into the top corner. On 14 January 2011 in a game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Szalai sustained a knee injury that would prove to keep him out for the rest of the season for Mainz. He tore his cruciate ligament and is set to return in mid-October.

Club statistics

Accurate as last game played on 22 January 2012.

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Stuttgart II	2006–07	33	5	—		—		33	5
	Total	33	5	—		—		33	5
Real Madrid Castilla	2007–08	21	4	—		—		21	4
	2008–09	37	16	—		—		37	16
	2009–10	13	3	—		—		13	3
	Total	71	23	—		—		71	23
Mainz 05	2009–10	15	1	0	0	—		15	1
	2010–11	20	4	2	1	—		22	5
	2011–12	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	Total	36	5	2	1	—		38	6
Career totals		140	33	2	1	—		142	34

International career

The offensive player has also had appearances for the Hungary national under-21 football team. In 2008, Szalai was summoned in the selection of Hungary. Szalai earned his first international cap on 11 February 2009 in a 1–0 defeat to Israel, replacing Zoltán Szélesi in the 84th minute. Ádám was able to score a Hat-trick against the San Marino in the Puskás Ferenc Stadium in the Euro 2012 qualifier. The former youth player of Real Madrid and current player of Mainz scored his first, second and third goal for Hungary against San Marino in a 8-0 trashing on 8 October 2010. Szalai's most memorable goal has been the first Hungarian goal against the Finland in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Finally, Hungary beat Finland 2-1 by a late goal by Balázs Dzsudzsák.

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	8 October 2010	Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary	San Marino	2–0	8–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
2.	8 October 2010	Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary	San Marino	4–0	8–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
3.	8 October 2010	Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary	San Marino	5–0	8–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
4.	12 October 2010	Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland	Finland	0–1	1–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification

Honours

• Young Hungarian Player of The Year: 2008
• Worm Charming Champion: 2007 (Dethroned Mark Strasser as team's best passer)

External links

• Ádám Szalai at fussballdaten.de (German)
• Transfermarkt Profile