Billy Celeski
Blagoja Celeski | |
|---|---|
| Born | Blagoja Celeski July 14, 1985 Ohrid, SR Macedonia |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (former) |
| Years active | 2005–2016 |
| Known for | Midfielder for Melbourne Victory, Perth Glory, Ventforet Kofu; Australia national team |
Blagoja "Billy" Celeski (born 14 July 1985) is a former professional footballer of Macedonian origin who represented Australia and last featured as a midfielder for Ventforet Kofu in Japan's J1 League during the 2016 season.
Club career
Celeski began his A-League journey with Perth Glory in the 2005–06 A-League campaign, transferring from Bullen Zebras. He made 18 appearances that season and earned the club’s media accolade before his release at the conclusion of the year. An alumnus of both the Victorian Institute of Sport and the Australian Institute of Sport, he secured a contract renewal with Perth Glory in March 2007. A highlight of his tenure was netting a hat-trick on 15 December 2007, contributing to Perth’s 4–2 victory over Sydney FC.
At the close of the 2007–08 season, Celeski agreed to a one-year contract with Melbourne Victory, aimed at bolstering their squad ahead of the AFC Champions League. He opened his goal-scoring account for Victory on 31 October 2008 in a 3–2 triumph against Adelaide United, and subsequently extended his stay with a two-year deal signed on 23 December 2008.
During Melbourne Victory’s championship-winning season, Celeski was instrumental, consistently featuring in league matches until suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury on 3 September 2009 in a match versus Newcastle Jets, which sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign.
On 20 July 2013, he was selected to represent the A-League All Stars in a match against Manchester United. Just four days later, he played for Melbourne Victory in a friendly against Liverpool. Shortly thereafter, on 30 July 2013, Celeski made a move to UAE Pro-League side Al-Shaab.
His next transfer came on 24 February 2014 when he joined Chinese Super League club Liaoning Whowin, although his stint was brief as he was released along with teammate Artyom Filiposyan on 29 May 2014. Returning to Australia, he signed with the Newcastle Jets on 6 August 2014 but was reportedly dismissed by owner Nathan Tinkler amid internal disputes within the team.
On 3 February 2016, Celeski signed with Japanese outfit Ventforet Kofu competing in the J1 League.
International career
Celeski earned his first cap for the Socceroos on 28 January 2009 during an AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against Indonesia, coming on as a substitute for Tom Pondeljak. Additionally, he was included in Australia’s squad for the football tournament at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Personal life
Originally from Ohrid, located in SR Macedonia, Celeski emigrated to Melbourne, Australia during his youth.
Club
- A-League Championship: 2008–09
- A-League Premiership: 2008–09
Individual
- Selected for the A-League All Star team in 2013