Kirkeliis Lillemets
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 December 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Estonia | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Paide Linnanaiskond | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | Tartu JK Tammeka | 84 | (46) |
| 2022–2024 | Tartu JK Tammeka II | 4 | (4) |
| 2025–2026 | Bayer Leverkusen II | 11 | (5) |
| 2026– | Paide Linnameeskond | 5 | (6) |
| International career | |||
| 2024– | Estonia | 7 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 5 May 2026 | |||
Kirkeliis Lillemets (born 7 December 2005) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Paide Linnanaiskond.
Club career
Lillemets began her senior career with Tartu JK Tammeka, making her debut in the Naiste Meistriliiga in 2022. During her first seasons with the club, she established herself as a regular first-team player, while also making occasional appearances for the club's reserve side.[1]
In 2023, she enjoyed her most productive season, scoring 15 league goals in 25 appearances. She continued her strong form in 2024, adding 13 goals in 21 league matches.[1]
At the beginning of 2025, Lillemets moved abroad to join Bayer Leverkusen.[2] She initially trained with the first team and was included in the matchday squad in the Frauen-Bundesliga.[3] However, her progress was later interrupted by a knee injury, with Lillemets later recalling that a Bundesliga debut had been only weeks away before the setback.[4] She later featured for the club's reserve side, scoring five goals in 11 appearances.[1]
Ahead of the 2026 season, Lillemets returned to Estonia and signed for Paide Linnanaiskond.[5][6] She made an immediate impact at the club, scoring four goals in her first four league appearances.
International career
Lillemets represented Estonia at youth international level, making appearances for the under-15, under-17 and under-19 teams.[7]
She made her senior debut for the Estonia women's national team on 21 February 2024 in a match against India.[7] During 2024, she made four appearances for the national team.[7]
In 2025, Lillemets added three further appearances for Estonia, including her first appearance in the UEFA Women's Nations League.[7]
As of May 2026, she has earned seven caps for the national team.[7]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tartu JK Tammeka | 2022 | Naiste Meistriliiga | 16 | 4 | 16 | 4 | ||
| Tartu JK Tammeka | 2022 | Naiste Meistriliiga | 13 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 13 |
| Tartu JK Tammeka II | 2022 | Naiste Esiliiga | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Tartu JK Tammeka | 2023 | Naiste Meistriliiga | 25 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 16 |
| Tartu JK Tammeka II | 2023 | Naiste Esiliiga | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Tartu JK Tammeka | 2024 | Naiste Meistriliiga | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 13 |
| Tartu JK Tammeka II | 2024 | Naiste Teine liiga | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Bayer Leverkusen II | 2024-2025 | Naiste Meistriliiga | 11 | 5 | 11 | 5 | ||
| Paide Linnanaiskond | 2026 | Naiste Meistriliiga | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Total | 94 | 52 | 7 | 9 | 101 | 61 | ||
Youth international career
| Team | Years | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia U15 | 2019 | 3 | 0 |
| Estonia U17 | 2020–2021 | 5 | 4 |
| Estonia U19 | 2022–2023 | 13 | 4 |
Appearances and goals by national team and year
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 0 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Kirkeliis Lillemets – player statistics". Eesti Jalgpalli Liit (in Estonian). Eesti Jalgpalli Liit. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Leverkuseniga lepingu sõlminud Lillemets: olen nüüd reaalselt inimeste keskel, keda olin kogu aeg Instagramis jälginud". Soccernet.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Märk maas: Lillemets pääses esmakordselt Bundesligas Leverkuseni koosseisu". Soccernet.ee (in Estonian). 26 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Wirtzi ja ten Hagi seltsis põlve ravinud Lillemets meenutab südantmurdvat kevadet: debüüt Bundesligas oli nädalate küsimus". Soccernet.ee (in Estonian). 27 October 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Võimas täiendus: Paide Linnanaiskonnaga liitus Saksamaal karastunud ründaja". Soccernet.ee (in Estonian). 13 January 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kirkeliis Lillemets returns to Estonia with Paide". Baltic Football News. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kirkeliis Lillemets". Eesti Jalgpalli Liit (in Estonian). Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- 2005 births
- Living people
- Estonian women's footballers
- Women's association football forwards
- Tartu JK Tammeka (women) players
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen (women) players
- Estonia women's international footballers
- Estonian expatriate women's footballers
- Estonian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
- Expatriate women's footballers in Germany
- Paide Linnanaiskond players