Nicky Cleșcenco
Moldovan footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicky Cleșcenco (born 23 July 2001) is a footballer who plays as a left winger for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock. Born in Ireland, he plays for the Moldova national team.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 23 July 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Kilmarnock | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Dacia Buiucani | |||
| Sporting CP | |||
| –2019 | União de Leiria | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2020 | União de Leiria | 6 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | Sion II | 35 | (8) |
| 2023–2025 | → Petrocub Hîncești (loan) | 24 | (8) |
| 2025–2026 | Zimbru Chișinău | 20 | (4) |
| 2026– | Kilmarnock | 5 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2020 | Moldova U21 | 10 | (0) |
| 2021– | Moldova | 8 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2026 | |||
Club career
Cleșcenco played for Dacia Buiucani in his youth, before moving to Portugal in 2014 to play for the academies of Sporting CP and União de Leiria. During the 2019–20 season, he made six senior appearances for União de Leiria in the Campeonato de Portugal. In February 2021, he joined the reserve team of Swiss club Sion, playing in the Promotion League.[1] On 17 February 2025 he signed for Zimbru Chișinău.[3]
On 30 January 2026, Cleșcenco signed for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock on an eighteen-month contract.[4]
International career
Personal life
Cleșcenco was born in Dublin, Ireland,[6] and is the son of former footballer and manager Serghei Cleșcenco.[1]
