Lorik Cana
Lorik Cana, the Swiss defender, made 35 appearances for Sunderland. His value came outside the scoresheet, with 35 recorded appearances.
Lorik Agim Cana ( Albanian pronunciation: [ˈlɔɾik ˈtsana] ; born 27 July 1983) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back or midfielder . [ 1 ] Known for his versatility, physicality and leadership qualities, Cana was capable of operating in both defensive midfield and central defence, attributes that allowed him to become a key figure for several clubs and the Albania national team . [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] He is currently the Grassroots ambassador for children's football in Albania, a role appointed by the Albanian Football Association in October 2017. Born in Pristina , Yugoslavia, he represented the Albania national team . [ 5 ] Cana played in the top divisions of France , England , Italy and Turkey , representing Paris Saint-Germain , Marseille , Sunderland , Galatasaray , Lazio and Nantes . [ 1 ] His combative style, defensive awareness and ability to adapt to different roles made him a valued squad member throughout his career. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] At the age of 16, he was invited for a trial with Arsenal but was unable to attend after being denied a British visa. [ 8 ] He began his senior career with Paris Saint-Germain, winning the 2003–04 Coupe de France , before joining rivals Marseille in 2005, where he became club captain in 2007. [ 9 ] Initially deployed as a defensive midfielder or central midfielder , he later established himself as a centre-back , demonstrating tactical flexibility and leadership on the pitch. [ 10 ] [ 7 ] In 2009, Cana signed for Sunderland, becoming the first player of Albanian origin to compete in the Premier League , and — Wikipedia
- Position
- DF
- Nationality
- Switzerland
- Birthplace
- Pristina
- Born
- 27 Jul 1983
- Height
- 186 cm
Cana joined Sunderland on a four-year contract on 24 July 2009 for a reported fee of around £5 million. [ 92 ] Shortly after his arrival, manager Steve Bruce appointed him as captain, [ 93 ] although the club had not yet officially confirmed its permanent captain at the time. [ 94 ] He made his Premier League debut on 15 August 2009, playing the full 90 minutes in Sunderland's 1–0 away victory over Bolton Wanderers and becoming the first Albanian footballer to appear in the competition. [ 95 ] [ 96 ] Cana quickly established himself as a regular starter, although his combative style also resulted in several suspensions during the campaign. [ 97 ] Bruce officially confirmed him as Sunderland's permanent captain for the 2009–10 season on 3 September 2009. [ 98 ] On 17 October 2009, he captained Sunderland to a 1–0 home victory over Liverpool , the club's first league win over Liverpool since December 2002. [ 99 ] In domestic cup competitions, Cana featured in both of Sunderland's League Cup matches, helping the club reach the fourth round before being eliminated by Aston Villa after extra time. [ 100 ] He also started both of Sunderland's FA Cup fixtures, as the club defeated Barrow before being eliminated by Portsmouth in the fourth round. [ 101 ] On 9 March 2010, he provided the assist for Fraizer Campbell 's opening goal in Sunderland's 4–0 league victory over Bolton. [ 102 ] Despite missing three league matches through a groin injury late in the season, [ 103 ] he finished the Premier League campaign with 31 appearances as Sunderland placed 13th. [ 104 ] [ 105 ] [ 106 ] — Wikipedia
By Season
| Season | Apps | Goals | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 35 | 0 | — |
Appearances counted as matches started or come on as substitute. Figures from recorded season totals — we hold no match-by-match data for this era.
Similar Players
Similarity scores (0–100) weigh position, scoring rate, appearances and era.