Henok Goitom

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Henok Goitom
Goitom with AIK in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-09-22) 22 September 1984 (age 39)[1]
Place of birth Solna, Sweden[1]
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-forward
Team information
Current team
 AIK (assistant)
Youth career
1998–2000 Essinge IK
2001–2002 Inter Orhoy
2002–2003 Vasalunds IF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 Udinese 1 (1)
2005–2007 → Ciudad Murcia (loan) 75 (23)
2007–2009 Murcia 31 (2)
2008–2009 → Valladolid (loan) 29 (10)
2009–2012 Almería 78 (8)
2012–2015 AIK 93 (39)
2016 Getafe 2 (0)
2016 San Jose Earthquakes 8 (0)
2017–2021 AIK 142 (39)
Total 459 (122)
International career
2003 Sweden U19 3 (1)
2005–2006 Sweden U21 13 (4)
2015–2019 Eritrea 4 (1)
Managerial career
2021–2022 AIK (under-19)
2022 AIK (interim)
2022– AIK (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Henok Goitom (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhěːnɔk]; born 22 September 1984) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward, currently assistant manager of AIK.

He spent most of his 18-year career with AIK (two spells) and in Spain, where he played 215 matches and scored 42 goals across both major levels – 109 games and 14 goals in La Liga. He also competed professionally in Italy and the United States.

Born in Sweden, Goitom represented Eritrea as a senior after having appeared for Sweden at youth level. He made his debut for the former in 2015, earning four caps in four years and scoring once.

Early life[edit]

Goitom was born in Solna, Stockholm, and raised in the nearby Husby district. His parents were born in Eritrea.[2][3]

Club career[edit]

Udinese[edit]

Goitom moved to Italy in 2004 to join Udinese Calcio, rarely being an option during his short stay. However, in his sole Serie A appearance, on 19 February 2005, he only needed seven minutes as a late substitute to score the 90th minute 1–1 equaliser against Inter Milan.[4]

Subsequently, Goitom served a two-year loan in the Spanish Segunda División with Ciudad de Murcia. He netted 15 league goals during his second season.[5]

Murcia[edit]

Goitom was released by Udinese in 2007, and signed a four-year deal with neighbouring Real Murcia for a reported €3 million;[6] the president of UD Almería, Alfonso García, however, announced the club would take matters to court: as he appeared before the media during the presentation of Aitor López Rekarte, showed journalists papers which proved an agreement had already been reached between Almería and Udinese.[7] He only scored twice during the entire campaign, which saw the team relegated from La Liga as last.[8]

In July 2008, Goitom was loaned for one season to fellow league side Real Valladolid, which had an option to buy at the campaign's closure.[9] Established as first choice, he netted twice in a 3–2 away win over Recreativo de Huelva on 8 March 2009, but was also sent off during the match (as teammate Álvaro Rubio).[10] He finished as team top scorer, at ten.[11]

Almería[edit]

In late July 2009, Goitom was released by Murcia and joined fellow league side Almería, replacing Sevilla FC-bound Álvaro Negredo.[5] His season output consisted of one goal, in a 1–1 home draw against CD Tenerife.[12][13] Also, even though he was the only pure striker in the squad, he was never an undisputed starter,[14] but the Andalusians retained their top-division status in the end.

Goitom scored one of Almería's most important goals on 19 January 2011, a penalty kick in a 3–2 victory at Deportivo de La Coruña (4–2 on aggregate), with them reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time ever; he added one more in the competition, against Real Sociedad.[15][16] However, he again only netted once in the league, in a 2–2 home draw with Atlético Madrid,[17] and the club returned to the second tier after four years.[18]

In mid-August 2012, Goitom terminated his contract.[19]

AIK[edit]

On 16 August 2012, Goitom signed with his hometown club AIK Fotboll in the Allsvenskan.[20] In November 2015, it was announced he would be released when his contract ended on 31 December.[21]

Getafe[edit]

On 22 March 2016, after being unemployed for almost three months, Goitom agreed to a short-term deal at Getafe CF.[22] He made his debut about a week later, coming on as a second half-substitute in a 2–0 away loss against Rayo Vallecano.[23]

Goitom only totalled 125 minutes of action during his spell, and his team suffered top-flight relegation.

San Jose Earthquakes[edit]

On 10 August 2016, Goitom joined San Jose Earthquakes on a free transfer.[24] He made his Major League Soccer debut nine days later, coming from the bench in a 1–2 defeat to Houston Dynamo at the Avaya Stadium.[25]

At the end of the season, where he only started in two of his appearances, it was announced that Goitom would not be retained.[26]

Return to AIK[edit]

On 3 March 2017, Goitom signed a two-year deal with former side AIK, thus returning to his birth country and its main division.[27] In February of the following year, he became team captain.[28]

Goitom announced his retirement after the 2021 season, aged 37.[29] On 19 August 2022, he was appointed interim manager of his last club.[30]

International career[edit]

Sweden[edit]

Goitom was a regular starter for the Swedish under-21 team during 2006, and played for the nation during qualification for the 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Championships.[31][32][33] He was never called up to the full side, although he was considered for a place in the squad for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Russia.[34]

Eritrea[edit]

In September 2015, aged 30, Goitom made an official request to FIFA for permission to play for Eritrea.[35] He made his debut on 10 October, in a 2–0 home loss to Botswana for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[36][37] He scored in the return leg, in a final 5–1 aggregate defeat.[38]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Udinese 2003–04[39] Serie A 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2004–05[39] Serie A 1 1 1 0 — 2 1
2005–06[39] Serie A 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2006–07[39] Serie A 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 1 1 1 0 — 2 1
Ciudad Murcia (loan) 2005–06[39] Segunda División 37 8 0 0 — 37 8
2006–07[39] Segunda División 38 15 0 0 — 38 15
Total 75 23 0 0 — 75 23
Murcia 2007–08[39] La Liga 31 2 2 0 — 33 2
Valladolid (loan) 2008–09[39] La Liga 29 10 2 1 — 31 11
Almería 2009–10[39] La Liga 21 1 0 0 — 21 1
2010–11[39] La Liga 26 1 5 2 — 31 3
2011–12[39] Segunda División 31 6 3 1 — 34 7
Total 78 8 8 3 — 86 11
AIK 2012[40] Allsvenskan 9 1 1 0 2 1 12 2
2013[40] Allsvenskan 27 8 3 1 — 30 9
2014[40] Allsvenskan 28 12 1 1 4 1 33 14
2015[40] Allsvenskan 29 18 4 3 6 6 39 27
Total 93 39 9 5 12 8 114 52
Getafe 2015–16[39] La Liga 2 0 0 0 — 2 0
San Jose Earthquakes 2016[41] Major League Soccer 8 0 0 0 — 8 0
AIK 2017[41][40] Allsvenskan 24 5 2 1 5 1 31 7
2018[41][40] Allsvenskan 30 12 6 1 4 0 40 13
2019[41][40] Allsvenskan 30 11 5 1 8 3 43 15
2020[41][40] Allsvenskan 29 8 4 2 0 0 33 10
2021[40] Allsvenskan 29 3 0 0 — 29 3
Total 142 39 17 5 17 4 176 48
Career total 459 122 39 14 29 12 527 148

International[edit]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[42]

National team Year Apps Goals
Eritrea 2015 2 1
2016 0 0
2017 0 0
2018 0 0
2019 2 0
Total 4 1

International goals

Scores and results list Eritrea's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1. 13 October 2015 Francistown Stadium, Francistown, Botswana  Botswana
1–0
1–3
 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification [38]

Honours[edit]

AIK

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Henok Goitom". Eurosport. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  2. ^ Hazra, Marzia (10 September 2009). "Henok Goitom: From suburban Stockholm to La Liga". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  3. ^ Minshull, Phil (18 November 2010). "Almeria's Henok Goitom considers playing for Eritrea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Colpo di Veron, l'Inter si illude – Goitom beffa Mancini allo scadere" [Veron strike, Inter think it's over – Goitom mocks Mancini in the end]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 19 February 2005. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Goitom ya está en Almería" [Goitom is already in Almería]. Diario de Almería (in Spanish). 16 July 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  6. ^ "El Murcia ficha al delantero sueco Henok Goitom" [Murcia sign Swedish forward Henok Goitom]. Marca (in Spanish). 12 July 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  7. ^ "El Almería denunciará el fichaje de Goitom por el Murcia" [Almería to denounce Murcia's signing of Goitom]. La Opinión de Murcia (in Spanish). 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  8. ^ Matteoni, Pierre (22 June 2008). "Goitom om framtiden: Jag har mer erfarenhet" [Goitom on future: I have more experience] (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen Europa. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Goitom llega al Valladolid "para marcar goles y ayudar a mantener la permanencia"" [Goitom arrives in Valladolid to "score goals and help to stay up"] (in Spanish). Soitu. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  10. ^ "Recreativo Huelva 2–3 Valladolid". ESPN Soccernet. 8 March 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Goitom, un gol desde el banquillo" [Goitom, a goal from the bench]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). 9 October 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  12. ^ Pineda, Rafael (17 January 2010). "La igualada sólo alivia al Almería" [Draw only relieves Almería]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Eritrean Henok Goitom back in action in La Liga". Eri-International Sports. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  14. ^ "El sueco no ha superado la 'maldición del 20'" [The Swede has not overcome the 'curse of the 20']. Ideal (in Spanish). 25 May 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  15. ^ "El Almería ganó la eliminatoria ante una Real que lo intentó pero pagó sus errores" [Almería won tie against Real who tried but paid for their mistakes]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 11 November 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  16. ^ Rincón, Jaime (19 January 2011). "El Almería se niega a despertar del sueño" [Almería refuse to awake from dream]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  17. ^ "Almeria fight back for draw". ESPN Soccernet. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  18. ^ Laynez, P. (22 August 2013). "Getafe, 8 de mayo de 2011, el pasado está superado" [Getafe, 8 May 2011, the past is water under the bridge]. Diario de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Goitom deja de pertenecer al Almería" [Goitom no longer an Almería player] (in Spanish). UD Almería. 13 August 2012. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  20. ^ Hultqvist, Daniel (16 August 2012). "Goitom klar för AIK: "Är det rätta steget"" [Goitom ready for AIK: "It's the right move"]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  21. ^ Mellerborg, Stefan (5 November 2015). "Henok Goitom lämnar AIK Fotboll" [Henok Goitom leaves AIK Fotboll] (in Swedish). AIK Fotboll. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Henok Goitom klar för La Liga-klubben Getafe" [Henok Goitom signs with La Liga club Getafe] (in Swedish). Kista Galaxy. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  23. ^ Carlsson, Marie (1 April 2017). "Goitom debuterade när Getafe föll på bortaplan" [Goitom made debut as Getafe fell away from home]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  24. ^ "Earthquakes sign striker Henok Goitom". The Mercury News. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  25. ^ "Recap: Quakes fall 2–1 Dynamo at Avaya Stadium". San Jose Earthquakes. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  26. ^ "News: Earthquakes announce roster moves ahead of 2017 season". San Jose Earthquakes. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  27. ^ Mellerborg, Stefan (3 March 2017). "Henok Goitom gör comeback i AIK" [Henok Goitom makes a comeback at AIK] (in Swedish). AIK Fotboll. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  28. ^ Durefelt, Filip (26 February 2018). "Henok Goitom ny lagkapten i AIK" [Henok Goitom new team captain of AIK]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  29. ^ Rouhani, Rihaneh; Melke, Gabriel (4 December 2021). "Goitom avslutade med 100: "Ska berätta för mina barnbarn"" [Goitom finished with 100: "I will tell this to my grandchildren"] (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Förändringar i herrlagets ledarstab" [Changes in men's team coaching staff] (in Swedish). AIK Fotboll. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  31. ^ "Goitom seals Sofia success". UEFA. 25 March 2005. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  32. ^ "U21 herr: Goitom tvåmålsskytt mot Bulgarien" [U21 master: Goitom two-goal shooter against Bulgaria] (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 25 March 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  33. ^ "Goitom fuels Swedes' dreams". UEFA. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  34. ^ Bohman, Per (22 September 2015). "Henok Goitom: "Han ringde aldrig"" [Henok Goitom: "He never called"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  35. ^ Carlsson, Simon (15 September 2015). "Väljer bort Sverige – för spel med Eritrea" [Rejects Sweden – to play with Eritrea]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  36. ^ "Eritrea needs to bounce back against Botswana in World Cup qualifier". Caperi. 10 October 2015. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  37. ^ "Eritrea 0–2 Botswana". Eurosport. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  38. ^ a b Kidane, Bereket (14 October 2015). "Botswana advances against Eritrea, Henok Goitom scores on a brilliant header". Tesfa News. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Goitom: Henok Goitom". BDFutbol. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  40. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Henok Goitom" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  41. ^ a b c d e f "H. Goitom". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  42. ^ "H. Goitom – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 February 2017.

External links[edit]

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