Jahmir Hyka (born 8 March 1988) is an Albanian retired professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a

left midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

. A

Dinamo Tirana Football Club Dinamo City, commonly referred to as Dinamo City and colloquially known as Dinamo, is an Albanian professional football club based out of Tirana. They compete in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. Founded i ...

product, Hyka started his professional career in Norway at Rosenborg where did not make a league appearance. He moved to Greek club

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...

in 2007, again failing to make a league appearance and who then sent him on loan to

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

. Hyka's performances at Tirana earned him a move to

Mainz 05 1. Fußball- und Sport-Verein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05 or simply Mainz 05 (), is a German professional sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top tie ...

of the 2. Bundesliga in 2008 where he made his German top flight debut in 2009. He played for

Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan-Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis''), ...

in the first half of 2010–11 before returning to Tirana in January 2011 and helping KF Tirana to clinch the

Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup () is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit ( English:"The King's Cup"). The cup was suspended for the next eight years as the Second World War started. It start ...

. In the summer of 2011, he left Albania again to join

Luzern Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

in Switzerland, where he made more than 150 appearances in six years. In February 2017, he signed with

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional association football, soccer club based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Origin ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

. In January 2019 Jahmir Hyka signed with

Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Netanya F.C. () is an Israeli professional football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949. After winning their first championship in 1971, the club's golden period last ...

a contract for 1.5 years. Hyka represented Albania at youth levels, playing for the under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels. He made his senior debut in 2007 and one year later scored Albania's fastest goal in history. Since then, he has collected 44 caps as of June 2017.

Club career

Early career and Norway

Hyka joined local side

at the age of 12, where he played for the youth teams for four years, until he made it to the first team at 2004. He was being tracked by a number of European clubs despite never having made a competitive appearance for Dinamo Tirana before joining Norwegian side

Rosenborg BK Rosenborg Ballklub, commonly referred to simply as Rosenborg () or RBK, is a Norwegian professional association football, football club from Trondheim that plays in Eliteserien (football), Eliteserien. The club has won a record 26 league titles ...

in 2005

on loan In sports, a loan involves a particular player being able to temporarily play for a club other than the one to which they are currently contracted. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to a full season, sometimes persisting for multiple seasons ...

. At Rosenborg, Hyka did not manage to break through into the first team, failing to make a single league appearance, only featuring twice as an unused substitute in August and September 2006.

Greece and return to Albania

In 2007, Hyka left

to sign with Greek club

for a fee of €600,000. At Olympiakos, he found opportunities in the first team limited and so he moved

KF Tirana Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. The men's football club is part of the multi-discipli ...

, the then champions of the 2006–07 Albanian Superliga in time for the 2007–08 season. Back in

, Hyka played 32 games, scoring two goals and his good form did not go unnoticed. Croatian side

Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb (), commonly referred to as simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Cr ...

showed interest and Hyka was close to a move.

Mainz

In June 2008, Hyka signed a three-year deal with German side

Panionios

In 2010, after just 13 appearances with the German team, most of them as a substitute, Hyka was once again on the move, this time back to Greece, transferring to Greek team,

, for a €120,000 fee.

Return to Tirana

After a difficult time in Greece, Hyka returned to Albania, re-signing with former side

where he had previously had a loan spell. The deal was completed on 29 January 2011, while he was still in Greece. Tirana president

Refik Halili Refik Halili is the chairman and main sponsor of KF Tirana. Since 2003, Halili had been one of the sponsors of the club. His duty as Chairman of KF Tirana started on May 29, 2008. He is a businessman and founder and owner of one of Albania's lead ...

had previously expressed his desire to sign the young national team winger at the unveiling of new signing

Bekim Balaj Bekim Balaj (born 11 January 1991) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Albanian club Vllaznia Shkodër. Balaj started his football career with his hometown club Vllaznia and made his professional debut at the ag ...

. Hyka made his return debut on 20 February 2011 in team's goalless draw against

Shkumbini Peqin Klubi i Futbollit Shkumbini Peqin is an Albanian football club based in the town of Peqin. The club's home ground is the Shkumbini Stadium and they compete in the Kategoria e Dytë. History Football was first introduced to the city of Peqin in t ...

at home. One month later, in a match against the same opponent, he netted his first season goal via a free-kick from 25 metres, giving his team a minimal 1–0 win. He continued with his solid appearances by scoring twice in Tirana's 4–0 defeat of Laçi in April. Only four days later, he scored his fourth goal of the season in the 6–1 defeat of Elbasani at

Selman Stërmasi Stadium The Selman Stërmasi Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Tirana, Albania. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of KF Tirana. The stadium holds 9,500 people (all seated). It is named after Selman Stërma ...

. Tirana finished the season in the fifth position with 44 points, failing to secure a spot in European competitions, bringing the departure of Hyka.

Luzern

In the summer of 2011, Hyka was transferred to

FC Luzern Fussball-Club Luzern (), or simply abbreviated to FCL, is a Swiss sports club based in Lucerne (). It is best known for its professional association football, football team, which plays in the Swiss Super League, Super League, the top tier of the ...

in the

Swiss Super League The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...

. He scored his first goal with Luzern on 6 August 2011 in a 1–1 draw against Young Boys after coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute to score in the 86th minute for the equaliser. Luzern fans named him "the Messi of

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

." Hyka scored a goal from 20 meters in a 4–1 loss against St. Gallen on 1 September 2013. He scored a goal and provided several assist for Luzern in a 2–4 win against Terre Sainte in the

Swiss Cup The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association. The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...

on 15 September 2013.

San Jose Earthquakes

On 3 February 2017, Hyka signed with

. He first appeared for the club on 25 February 2017 in the last San Jose Earthquakes preseason friendly against

Sacramento Republic Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that competes in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, t ...

, substituting on at halftime and scoring also a goal in the 79th minute. Hyka made his first MLS appearance as a 70th-minute substitute in the season home opener against Montreal Impact on 4 March 2017, finished in the 1–0 victory. His first score-sheet contributions came in his second ever appearance for the club on 11 March 2017, substituting on at halftime and recording two assists to help the Earthquakes make a 3–2 comeback victory over the

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...

. On 18 March 2017, Hyka made his first MLS start in a 2–1 loss at

Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...

. His first goal was scored on 14 April 2017 with ten seconds remaining in stoppage time in what would be a 1–1 home draw against

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The franchise be ...

. Hyka opened the scoring against the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...

in the 3–0 rout on 7 May in the 8th minute of the match. He assisted the first goal scored by San Jose Designated Player Vako on 20 July against the

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...

, which finished as a 5–1 loss. Following the end of the 2018 season, Hyka was not offered a new contract, leaving the club after collecting 52 appearances. Following his departure from the club, Hyka returned in Albania and begun training with his old club Tirana in order to maintain his form.

Maccabi Netanya F.C.

In January 2019, Hyka joined

Maccabi Netanya F.C. Maccabi Netanya F.C. () is an Israeli professional football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949. After winning their first championship in 1971, the club's golden period last ...

of the

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

on a free transfer. He scored three goals for the club in his first season. Jashmir Hyka 8

International career

On 7 February 2007, Hyka made his debut for

in a friendly match against

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

. On 20 August 2008, he scored his first goal for Albania against

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

and his goal came just 46 seconds after the game had begun, making it the quickest goal in Albanian history. Following a two-year absence, he returned to Albania national team under the same coach Gianni De Biasi, receiving a call up for the

Friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...

against

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

on 31 August 2016 and the

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA FIFA#Structure, confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia national football team, Rus ...

opening match against

on 5 September 2016.

Style of play

A quick, energetic, and agile player, Hyka is capable of playing either as

left winger In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

. Luzern fans have nicknamed him "the Albanian Messi" due to his short stature, dribbling, and speed.

Dominic Kinnear Dominic Kinnear (born July 26, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former player. On January 18, 2022, he was named an assistant coach by FC Cincinnati, his first coaching role since serving as the interim head coach of the LA Galaxy. As a p ...

, San Jose's coach at the time of Hyka's signing with the team, praised his skills, saying, "He's really smart on the ball and confident in tight places" and adding that "he has a good first touch." Both Earthquakes

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Jesse Fioranelli Jesse Fioranelli (born 21 November 1979) is a Swiss / Italian football manager. He is a member of the technical staff of manager Stefano Pioli at Serie A club AC Milan. Prior to this role, he was the General Manager of San Jose Earthquakes in MLS ...

and

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

senior analyst Matt Doyle have emphasized Hyka's unpredictability on the field.

Personal life

Hyka has four siblings, two sisters and two brothers who live in his hometown of

Tirane Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the di ...

. He practices the faith of Islam, praying five times daily and fasting during the holy month of

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

, which he has done so since the age of 12. He attends

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

when possible around his football schedule, and at his former club

1. FSV Mainz 05 1. Fußball- und Sport-Verein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05 or simply Mainz 05 (), is a German professional sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top tie ...

he would attend with teammate

Chadli Amri Chadli Amri (; born 14 December 1984) is a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in France, he represented Algeria at international level Early life Amri was born in Saint-Avold, France, to Algerian parents. His family ...

. He is fluent in Albanian, German, and English. As of 13 March 2018, Hyka possesses a U.S. green card, which qualifies him as a domestic player for

roster purposes. In 2023, Hyka married his Albanian wife Enxhi Nallbani, after romantically proposing to her few months earlier in Portofino.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hyka goal.''

Honours

Rosenborg *

Tippeligaen Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Olympiacos *

Superleague Greece The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repl ...

: 2006–07 Tirana *

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

Luzern *

: Runner-up 2011–12 Individual *

Player of the Month: April 2016

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyka, Jahmir 1988 births Living people Footballers from Tirana Albanian men's footballers Men's association football wingers Albania men's international footballers Albania men's under-21 international footballers Albania men's youth international footballers Rosenborg BK players Olympiacos F.C. players KF Tirana players 1. FSV Mainz 05 players Panionios F.C. players FC Luzern players San Jose Earthquakes players Maccabi Netanya F.C. players Sektzia Ness Ziona F.C. players Guizhou F.C. players Eliteserien players Swiss Super League players Bundesliga players 2. Bundesliga players Major League Soccer players China League One players Albanian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Norway Expatriate men's footballers in Greece Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Expatriate men's footballers in Israel Expatriate men's footballers in China Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Norway Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Greece Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Albanian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Israel Albanian expatriate sportspeople in China 21st-century Albanian sportsmen