Jānis Ikaunieks (footballer)


Jānis Ikaunieks is a Latvian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder.

Club career

FK Liepāja

Ikaunieks was born in Kuldīga. As a youth player he played for the youth teams of Liepājas Metalurgs, scoring 11 goals in 20 matches in the 2012 Latvian First League season and helping Liepājas Metalurgs-2 win the championship. In 2013, he was taken to the first team. Ikaunieks debuted in the Latvian Higher League. Throughout his first professional season Ikaunieks played 19 league matches, scoring three goals. After the end of the season the club was dissolved due to financial difficulties and Ikaunieks alongside other players transferred to its successor, the newly established FK Liepāja. Starting the season as a nominal substitute Ikaunieks strikingly rose to the first eleven and was named Latvian Higher League player of the month in May. On 11 June 2014, Ikaunieks scored four goals in a 7–0 victory over FC Jūrmala. All in all, he scored 23 goals in 32 league matches and became the second top scorer of the championship behind Vladislavs Gutkovskis from Skonto. In August 2014 Ikaunieks went on trial with the Croatian Prva HNL champions Dinamo Zagreb. In September he was named player of the month for the second time in the season. In October explicit interest in the player was reported for AFC Ajax, FC Metz, VfB Stuttgart and Udinese Calcio. On 5 December 2014 Ikaunieks was named the best midfielder of the season and was simultaneously voted as the best player of the 2014 Latvian Higher League.

Metz

On 23 December 2014, the chairman of FC Metz, Bernard Serin confirmed that Ikaunieks would join the Ligue 1 side on a four-year deal. The transfer on an undisclosed fee was officially affirmed on 7 January 2015. Ikaunieks made his debut for Metz’ first team on 20 January 2015, coming on as a substitute in the Coupe de France 1/16 finals match victory over US Avranches.

AEL

In December 2016, Ikaunieks joined AEL six-month loan move from Metz, in search of playing time. Reportedly, there was no buy option in the loan agreement.

FK Liepāja

On 15 June 2017, it was announced that Ikaunieks had returned to FK Liepāja, while being on loan from Metz.

Strømsgodset

Ikaunieks signed for Strømsgodset on 11 February 2020. On 1 August 2020, having spent only a few months with the team, Ikaunieks and Strømsgodset agreed on mutual termination of the contract.

International career

Ikaunieks was a member of Latvia U-18, Latvia U-19 and Latvia U-21 football teams. He made his debut for Latvia national football team on 13 October 2014, playing all 90 minutes in a 1–1 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying draw against Turkey. It was later calculated that Ikaunieks had repeated the record of Māris Verpakovskis who debuted in 1999, being exactly 19 years, 7 months and 25 days old.

Personal life

His elder brother Dāvis is also a professional footballer, playing for FK Jablonec.

Career statistics

Club

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.29 March 2016Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar1–05–0Friendly
2.29 March 2016Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar5–05–0Friendly
3.2 June 2018Daugava Stadium, Riga, Latvia1–01–02018 Baltic Cup

Honours

Club

Liepājas Metalurgs II
FK Liepāja