Yan Klukowski
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 Klukowski with York City in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yan Klukowski[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1 January 1987[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Chippenham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Forest Green Rovers (head of academy) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Chippenham Town | |||
| –2003 | Bath City | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2008 | Central Connecticut[4] | 71[5][6][7][8] | (24) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2005 | Bath City | 14 | (0) |
| 2005 | Chippenham Town | 7 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Chippenham Town | 5 | (0) |
| 2007 | Ottawa Fury | 16 | (1) |
| 2008 | Cape Cod Crusaders | 14 | (5) |
| 2009 | Western Mass Pioneers | 12 | (1) |
| 2009 | Chippenham Town | 2 | (0) |
| 2010 | Larkhall Athletic | 8 | (6) |
| 2010–2014 | Forest Green Rovers | 159 | (48) |
| 2014–2016 | Newport County | 66 | (5) |
| 2016–2017 | York City | 25 | (3) |
| 2017–2018 | Torquay United | 7 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Kidderminster Harriers (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Chippenham Town | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Hungerford Town | 10 | (1) |
| 2020–2023 | Hereford | 28 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020–2022 | Hereford (player-coach) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Hereford (player-assistant) | ||
| 2023 | Hereford (interim manager) | ||
| 2023 | Gloucester City (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Forest Green Rovers (head of academy) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13.24, 23 May 2023 (UTC) | |||
Yan Klukowski (born 1 January 1987) is an English former professional footballer. He is currently Head of Academy at Forest Green Rovers.
Youth and college
Born and raised in Chippenham, Wiltshire,[9] Klukowski was educated at Sheldon School.[10] His football education began at local club Chippenham Town before moving to Bath City.[11] At 18 years of age, he broke into the first team at Bath.[citation needed] Klukowski turned down a new contract with Bath in July 2005 to sign a four-year scholarship with Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) in New Britain, Connecticut, United States.[12][13] He had a brief stint with Chippenham Town at the start of the 2005–06 season before starting his scholarship.[14]
At CCSU, Klukowski was the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, playing for the All Conference first team.[citation needed] He was named to the All-NEC first team and received second team NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region honors as a sophomore in 2006.[citation needed] From December 2006 to January 2007, Klukowski played with Chippenham Town, while on holiday from the United States.[15] In 2007, he led the NEC in assists and was named to the All-NEC second team and the NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region first team.[citation needed]
During his college years, Klukowski also played with Ottawa Fury[16] and the Cape Cod Crusaders in the USL Premier Development League.[17]
Professional
Klukowski turned professional in 2009 and joined the Western Mass Pioneers of the USL Second Division, where he played 12 times, scoring once in a 2–1 win over Wilmington Hammerheads.[18] He was the joint seventh highest assist provider in the 2009 USL Second Division, with five.[19]
Following the conclusion of the season, Klukowski returned to England in an attempt to find a professional club to play for during 2009–10 and beyond.[citation needed] His first trial was provided by Carlisle United who were originally impressed and extended his trial period before deciding against offering him a contract.[20][21] Klukowski then went on trial with Swindon Town,[22] but was not offered a contract.[citation needed] In August 2009, Klukowski rejoined Chippenham Town.[citation needed] He later joined Larkhall Athletic until the end of 2009–10,[23] scoring six goals from eight league appearances.[14] In June 2010, he returned to Bath City on trial in an attempt to earn a contract following their promotion into the Conference Premier.[24]
In July 2010, he went on trial with Forest Green Rovers, before joining the Conference Premier club on 13 August.[25] He scored his first goal for the club in August 2010 in only his second appearance against Wrexham.[26] On 21 January 2011, he was awarded a new contract until the end of 2011–12 by Forest Green, after a number of impressive appearances.[27] After suffering an injury in the latter months of 2010–11, Klukowski was required to have surgery and returned to first-team action at the start of 2011–12.[citation needed] He scored his first goal of the season in a 6–1 away win over Alfreton Town on 20 August 2011, after converting James Rowe's cross.[28][29] On 31 March 2012, in a home match against Barrow, Klukowski scored his first hat-trick for Forest Green.[30] Klukowski ended 2011–12 as Forest Green's top scorer with 18 goals from 45 appearances.[28]
On 12 June 2012, Klukowski signed a contract extension at Forest Green, keeping him at the club until 2014.[31] On 15 April 2014, two goals in a 2–1 away win over Macclesfield Town saw him overtake Alex Meechan as Forest Green's all-time leading Conference Premier goal scorer, a record that has since been beaten, with a total of 48 league goals for the club.[32][33] On 28 April 2014, it was revealed that he had turned down the offer of a new contract with Forest Green in the hope he could earn a deal with a Football League club.[34]
On 20 May 2014, Klukowski joined League Two club Newport County on a two-year contract.[35] He made his debut for Newport on the opening day of 2014–15 against Wycombe Wanderers on 9 August 2014 as a second-half substitute.[36] His first goal for Newport came in a 2–1 home defeat against Swindon Town on 23 September 2014 in the first round of the Football League Trophy, with a tap-in from Aaron O'Connor's pass.[36][37] He was released by Newport on 10 May 2016 at the end of his contract.[38]
On 28 June 2016, Klukowski joined newly relegated National League club York City on a two-year contract.[39] On 21 May 2017, he started as York beat Macclesfield Town 3–2 at Wembley Stadium in the 2017 FA Trophy Final.[40]
On 29 June 2017, Klukowski signed for National League club Torquay United on a contract of undisclosed length,[41] having been allowed to leave York despite having a year left on his contract.[42] He joined National League North club Kidderminster Harriers on 17 November 2017 on a one-month loan.[43]
He was released by Torquay at the end of the 2017–18 season.[44]
On 22 May 2018, Klukowski signed for National League South side Chippenham Town,[45]
Klukowski left the Bluebirds on 17 September 2019.[46] On 27 September, he then joined Hungerford Town.[47]
International career
Klukowski scored with a 35-yard shot on his debut for England schools, in a 3–0 away win over Scotland on 25 February 2005.[48] He represented Great Britain at World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand in 2006.[citation needed] He was also selected to represent the Great Britain university football team at the 2007 Summer Universiade.[citation needed]
Coaching career
On 15 July 2020, Klukowski signed for Hereford as a player-coach under manager Josh Gowling, with whom he played together with at Torquay United.[49][50] On September 30, 2022, he was promoted to player-assistant coach following the departure of Steve Burr.[51]
On 5 February 2023, following the departure of manager Josh Gowling, Klukowski was appointed interim manager.[52] In May 2023, it was confirmed that Paul Caddis would take over the coaching position from May 1, 2023.[53] At the same time, Klukowski left the club.
In May 2023, he joined Gloucester City in the role of assistant manager.[54] He left by mutual agreement on 17 September 2023, along with manager Tim Flowers.[55]
In May 2024, Klukowski was hired as Head of Academy at his former club, Forest Green Rovers.[56]
Personal life
Klukowski is of Polish descent, through his grandfather.[9]
