Martin Dúbravka

Martin Dúbravka

Personal information
Full name	Martin Dúbravka
Date of birth	(1989-01-15) 15 January 1989
Place of birth	Žilina, Slovakia
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Newcastle United
Number	12
Youth career
	Žilina
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2013	Žilina	98	(0)
2014–2016	Esbjerg fB	66	(0)
2016–2017	Slovan Liberec	28	(0)
2017–	Sparta Prague	11	(0)
2018–	→ Newcastle United (loan)	1	(0)
International career‡
2007–2008	Slovakia U19	6	(0)
2009–2010	Slovakia U21	12	(0)
2014–	Slowakei	9	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 January 2018 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 January 2018

Martin Dúbravka (born 15 February 1989) is a Slovak Goalkeeper who plays for Newcastle United, on loan from Sparta Prague.

Club career

Dúbravka made his senior team debut in a 5–2 home win against Dubnica on 26 May 2009. In the next season he played 26 Corgoň Liga games, finishing as a league champion. He became a first choice after the transfer of Dušan Perniš in January 2010. He qualified with Žilina to the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League and played all 6 group games. He kept a clean sheet in the play-off round against Sparta Prague. On 30 January 2014, he signed a 3½ year deal with the Danish Superliga club Esbjerg fB.

Dúbravka joined Slovan Liberec of the Czech First League in July 2016 on a one-year contract. He joined Sparta Prague in June 2017, signing a three-year contract.

In January 2018, Newcastle United had shown interest in Dúbravka, initially offering Sparta Prague a loan for 500 thousand euros, with an option to sign in the summer for 4.5 millions. He finally joined the Premier League side on 31 January 2018, the final day of the winter transfer window on half a year loan deal. According to isport.cz he joined the club for 2 million euros, with an option to sign in the summer for extra 4 million. He made his debut on 11 February, playing a pivotal role and keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against Manchester United. He became 16th Slovak player and only a 2nd Slovak goalkeeper, after Ján Mucha, to start in a Premier League fixture.

International career

Dúbravka, a former under-19 and under-21 national player, was selected for the Slovakia national football team for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying home game against Republic of Ireland.

Dúbravka made his national team debut against Montenegro on 23 May 2014 (2-0 win).

In January 2017, he played his first full game for the national team, having played 45 minutes in both of his previous matches. While he was benched against Uganda (1–3 loss), on 12 January he was fielded in an unofficial friendly match against Sweden in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Slovakia lost the game 0–6, despite only trailing 0–1 at half time. This match also marked the first time Dúbravka conceded in the national team and he was also Slovak captain for the game, being the most experienced with international football.

He made his competitive debut in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier, against Lithuania (2-1 win), on 10 June 2017, when the preferred goalkeeper in the qualification, Matúš Kozáčik, was unavailable due to injury. He however achieved his first competitive clean sheet on 1 September in a home qualifier against Slovenia. Slovakia won thanks to a 81st-minute goal by Adam Nemec. Just as in the previous cap, Dúbravka was chosen due to a prolonged injury of Kozáčik. After Kozáčik's return to the squad, Dúbravka remained preferred for the remaining matches against England, Scotland and Malta. In the match against Scotland, Dúbravka made a series of saves before he was finally beaten by an own goal from Martin Škrtel.

Honours

Žilina

• Corgoň Liga: 2019–20, 2011–12
• Slovak Super Cup: 2010

External links

• UEFA profile
• Martin Dúbravka at Soccerway