Zeli Ismail

Zeli Ismail

Personal information
Full name	Zeli Ismail[1]
Date of birth	12 December 1993
Place of birth	Kukës, Albania
Playing position	Attacking midfielder/Winger
Club information
Current team	Cambridge United (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Number	20
Youth career
2004–2012	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2012–	Wolverhampton Wanderers	9	(0)
2012–2013	→ Milton Keynes Dons (loan)	7	(0)
2014	→ Burton Albion (loan)	15	(3)
2014	→ Notts County (loan)	14	(4)
2015–2016	→ Burton Albion (loan)	3	(0)
2016	→ Oxford United (loan)	5	(0)
2016–	→ Cambridge United (loan)	10	(1)
National team
2008	England U16	3	(0)
2009	England U17	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:00, 1 May 2016 (BST). † Appearances (goals)

Zeli Ismail (born 12 December 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a right midfielder for Cambridge United on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ismail has represented England at both under-16 and under-17 level.

Career

Ismail is a product of Wolverhampton Wanderers' academy, which he joined at the age of 10. In 2008 his former academy manager said he could "see enormous money being spent on Zeli."^[2]

The midfielder signed his first professional contract in 2010,^[3] and made his senior debut on 25 September 2012 as a substitute in a 0–6 defeat at Chelsea in the League Cup under Ståle Solbakken.^[4]

In November 2012 he joined League One side Milton Keynes Dons on loan until 2 January 2013.^[5] Here, he made his league debut on 24 November 2012 as a substitute in a 5–1 win over Colchester.^[6] Upon the end of his initial loan period he was immediately re-loaned for the remainder of the campaign,^[7] but this was ended after a month as Ismail failed to establish himself in their first team.^[8]

Following Wolves' relegation to League One at the end of the 2012–13 campaign, Ismail was cited by new manager Kenny Jackett as being part of his plans for the first team.^[9] He made his first league appearance for Wolves on 10 August 2013 when he started a 4–0 win against Gillingham, in what was the first of nine league appearances.^[10]

Despite these games, Ismail did not hold down a regular place in the Wolves' team and, after not gaining any playing time at all during December 2013, he was loaned to League Two club Burton Albion in January 2014 in a one-month loan deal.^[11] He scored his first senior goal on 8 February 2014 to earn a 1–0 victory at Morecambe.^[12] His loan stay was subsequently extended until the end of the season, allowing Ismail to play in the League Two Play-off Final for the Brewers, where they lost 0–1 to Fleetwood.

In July 2014, Ismail signed a six-month loan deal with League One Notts County.^[13] He scored four times in sixteen appearances before suffering a knee injury against Accrington in November 2014 that meant he had to return to his parent club and undergo surgery.^[14]

He is contracted to Wolves until summer 2016 with the option of a further year.^[15]

On 29 July 2015, it was announced that Ismail would return to former club Burton Albion on loan until January.^[16]

On 1 February 2016, Ismail joined Oxford United on a month's loan.^[17] He returned to his parent club having made 6 substitute appearances (5 of them in League matches) for Oxford.^[18]

On 5 March 2016 Ismail joined Cambridge United on loan until the end of the 2015–16 season.^[19]

Career statistics

As of 3 March 2016^[20]

Club	Season	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers	2012–13	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
	2013–14	9	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	11	0
MK Dons (loan; 2 spells)	2012–13	7	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
Burton Albion (loan)	2013–14	15	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	16	3
Notts County (loan)	2014–15	14	4	1	0	0	0	1	0	16	4
Burton Albion (loan)	2015–16	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Oxford United (loan)	2015–16	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
Career total		54	7	4	0	2	0	3	0	63	7

References

1. "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/02/2014 and 28/02/2014" (PDF). The Football Association. p. 12. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
2. "Wolves £100m wonder kid". News of the World. 12 October 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
3. "Wolves sign up Zeli Ismail and Liam McAlinden". Express & Star. 15 December 2010.
4. "Chelsea 6–0 Wolves". BBC Sport. 25 September 2012.
5. "Zeli Ismail joins MK Dons from Wolves on loan". BBC Sport. 23 November 2012.
6. "MK Dons 5–1 Colchester". BBC Sport. 24 November 2012.
7. "MK Dons re-sign Zeli Ismail from Wolves". BBC Sport. 4 January 2013.
8. "Ismail returns to Wolves". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 8 February 2013.
9. "The Potential of Youth". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 26 June 2013.
10. "Wolves 4–0 Gillingham". BBC Sport. 10 August 2013.
11. "Zeli Ismail joins Burton from Wolves". BBC Sport. 8 January 2014.
12. "Morecambe 0–1 Burton". BBC Sport. 8 February 2014.
13. "Zeli Ismail: Notts County sign Wolves winger on loan". BBC Sport. 18 July 2014.
14. "Knee injury rules Wolves winger Zeli Ismail out for six months". Express & Star. 1 December 2014.
15. "Wolves: Find out who is staying and who will be leaving Molineux". Birmingham Mail. 7 May 2015.
16. "ZELI ISMAIL RETURNS TO BURTON ALBION". Burton Albion FC. 29 July 2015.
17. "Oxford United sign Zeli Ismail". 1 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
18. Pritchard, David (3 March 2016). "Oxford United send Zeli Ismail back to Wolverhampton Wanderers". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
19. "Cambridge: Wolves loan out winger Zeli Ismail until end of season after Oxford loan". BBC Sport (BBC). 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
20. Zeli Ismail career statistics at Soccerbase

External links

• England profile at the FA
• Zeli Ismail career statistics at Soccerbase