Njazi Kuqi - Club Career

Club Career

Kuqi began his career with FC Lahti in 2002, where he was named Finland's Under-21 Player of the Year in 2004. Kuqi spent three seasons with the club, scoring a total of 20 goals in 57 appearances in all competitions. In January 2005, Kuqi signed for Birmingham City for a fee of £400,000, but failed to make any first–team appearances for the club during the latter stages of the 2004–05 season, although he was an unused substitute in Birmingham's 2–0 away defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup. Kuqi featured regularly for Birmingham's reserve side, but had a number of more experienced strikers in front of him, including Emile Heskey and Mikael Forssell, which made it difficult for him to break into the starting eleven. During the second half of the 2005–06 season, Kuqi was sent out on loan to Blackpool on a month's loan deal. A day after joining the club, he made his debut in the club's 4–2 win against Doncaster Rovers, coming on as a 81st minute substitute. Kuqi subsequently started in the club's 3–0 loss away to MK Dons, and played a total of four times for Blackpool before returning to his parent club. In March 2006, Kuqi was loaned out once more, this time to Peterborough United until the end of the season. However, Kuqi played just once for the club, starting in Peterborough's 2–2 draw with Barnet, before returning to Birmingham a month earlier than expected. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Kuqi was released by Birmingham, having not made a single first–team appearance.

In June 2006, Kuqi signed for FC Groningen on a free transfer, where he was to compete for a place in the team with players such as the former Manchester United striker Erik Nevland. After a range of conflicts, Kuqi was released by Groningen in August 2006, having made no first-team appearances for the club, with the season just two weeks old. Six months later, he signed an 18-month contract with FC Carl Zeiss Jena after failing to win a contract during a trial at his brother's former club, Ipswich Town. However, Kuqi struggled to make first-team appearances for the club, and was subsequently featuring regularly in the reserve side, FC Carl Zeis Jena II, in the German NOFV-Oberliga. In January 2008, he joined TuS Koblenz on a three-year contract. During the second half of the club's 2007–08 campaign, Kuqi scored four goals in nine appearances, scoring his first goal for Koblenz in a 1–1 draw away to FC St. Pauli. He also scored in the club's 3–2 away win against Kaiserslautern ten days later. He subsequently started the following season as the club's point of attack, and played a total of 29 games during the season, scoring five times as Koblenz narrowly avoided relegation. Kuqi remained at the club ahead of the 2009–10 season, although his season was disrupted by persistent injuries, only managing to play in 14 games, scoring twice in losses against FC St. Pauli and Karlsruher SC respectively. Kuqi played his last game for the club in March 2010, coming on as a 83rd minute substitute in a 2–0 loss to Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. He left the club at the end of the 2009–10 season.

Kuqi spent a week on trial at Dutch Eerste Divisie side RBC Roosendaal in July 2010, scoring in the club's 1–0 friendly win against Royal Antwerp. However, just three days after his trial at Roosendaal, Kuqi linked up with his brother Shefki once again, having previously played alongside him at Koblenz, as he joined Championship side Swansea City on trial for two weeks. He featured in a pre–season friendly against Port Talbot Town, scoring the winning goal in the 93rd minute. He also netted in another friendly against Llanelli, scoring the final goal of the game from 25–yards in a 5–1 win. However, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to earn a contract at Swansea, and subsequently requested a trial at League Two side Stevenage in August 2010. He played in a reserve match for the club against Ipswich Town. Three days later, Kuqi made his debut in the club's 3–1 win against Stockport County, coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute. He left Stevenage after failing to secure a full-time contract with the club. Shortly after, on 1 September 2010, Kuqi signed for Scottish First Division club Dundee on a one-year contract. He made his debut for the club in a 3–1 loss to Dunfermline Athletic, and featured in two other games for the club. However, in October 2010, Kuqi was one of nine players released by Dundee after the club went into administration. On being released, Kuqi said "My family just moved in two weeks ago. Of course you feel let down. Before I came here they spoke differently. They promised things and then after five weeks you're in administration".

On 28 March 2011, TPS Turku announced that the club had signed Kuqi on a one-year contract. He made his debut for the club on 6 May 2011, scoring in a 2–0 win over HJK Helsinki, the first game of the 2011 Veikkausliiga season. Kuqi scored eight goals in 23 appearances for the club during the 2011 season.

In September 2011, Kuqi joined Super League side Panionios. He made his debut for the club in a 1–0 away win against Panetolikos, scoring the only goal of the game in the eleventh minute. Two weeks later, in his third appearance for the club, Kuqi scored twice in a 3–0 victory away at Kerkyra.