Nicky Cleșcenco
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 23 July 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Kilmarnock | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Dacia Buiucani | |||
| Sporting CP | |||
| –2019 | União de Leiria | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2020 | União de Leiria | 6 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | Sion II | 35 | (8) |
| 2023–2025 | → Petrocub Hîncești (loan) | 24 | (8) |
| 2025–2026 | Zimbru Chișinău | 20 | (4) |
| 2026– | Kilmarnock | 5 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2020 | Moldova U21 | 10 | (0) |
| 2021– | Moldova | 8 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2026 | |||
Nicky Cleșcenco (born 23 July 2001) is a footballer who plays as a left winger for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock. Born in Ireland, he plays for the Moldova national team.[2]
Club career
Cleșcenco played for Dacia Buiucani in his youth, before moving to Portugal in 2014 to play for the academies of Sporting CP and União de Leiria. During the 2019–20 season, he made six senior appearances for União de Leiria in the Campeonato de Portugal. In February 2021, he joined the reserve team of Swiss club Sion, playing in the Promotion League.[1] On 17 February 2025 he signed for Zimbru Chișinău.[3]
On 30 January 2026, Cleșcenco signed for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock on an eighteen-month contract.[4]
International career
Cleșcenco made his international debut for Moldova on 3 June 2021, coming on as a substitute in the 87th minute for Dan Spătaru in a friendly match against Turkey. The match in Paderborn finished as a 2–0 loss.[5]
Personal life
Cleșcenco was born in Dublin, Ireland,[6] and is the son of former footballer and manager Serghei Cleșcenco.[1]
Career statistics
International
- As of 9 June 2026[5]
| Moldova | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 0 |
References
- 1 2 3 Ciolacu, Dumitru (2 February 2021). "Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco, noul jucător al lui FC Sion" [Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco, the new player of FC Sion]. Moldovan Football Federation (in Romanian). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ↑ Nicky Cleșcenco at WorldFootball.net
- ↑ "Nicky Cleșcenco a semnat cu Zimbru Chișinău". fmf.md (in Romanian). Moldovan Football Federation. 17 February 2025.
- ↑ "Moldovan International winger Nicky Cleşcenco signs on permanent deal". kilmarnockfc.co.uk. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- 1 2 "Nicky Cleșcenco". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ↑ Nicky Cleșcenco at Soccerway
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Association footballers from Dublin (city)
- Moldovan men's footballers
- Moldova men's international footballers
- Moldova men's under-21 international footballers
- Republic of Ireland men's association footballers
- Irish people of Moldovan descent
- Men's association football wingers
- U.D. Leiria players
- FC Sion players
- FC Petrocub Hîncești players
- FC Zimbru Chișinău players
- Kilmarnock F.C. players
- Campeonato de Portugal (league) players
- Swiss Promotion League players
- Moldovan Super Liga players
- Moldovan expatriate men's footballers
- Moldovan expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
- Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
- Moldovan expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland
- Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland
- 21st-century Irish sportsmen