Lorent Tolaj

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Lorent Tolaj
Personal information
Full name Lorent Tolaj[1]
Date of birth (2001-10-23) 23 October 2001 (age 22)
Place of birth Aigle, Switzerland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Aldershot Town
Number 9
Youth career
0000–2018 FC Sion
2018–2022 Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2023 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 (0)
2022 → Cambridge United (loan) 4 (0)
2022–2023 → Salford City (loan) 11 (0)
2023 → Dundee (loan) 2 (0)
2023– Aldershot Town 44 (19)
International career‡
2017 Switzerland U17 3 (2)
2018–2019 Switzerland U18 5 (1)
2019–2020 Switzerland U19 4 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:55, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:28, 2 February 2022 (UTC)

Lorent Tolaj (born 23 October 2001) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a forward for National League club Aldershot Town.

Club career[edit]

Brighton & Hove Albion[edit]

Born in Aigle,[2] Tolaj joined Brighton & Hove Albion's academy in 2018 after playing youth football for Swiss side FC Sion.[3] He would score two goals for the Seagulls' under-23 side in their 4–2 win over Worthing in the 2022 Sussex Senior Challenge Cup final.[4]

On 16 June 2023, Tolaj was released from his contract with Brighton.[5]

Cambridge United, Salford City, and Dundee loans[edit]

On 31 January 2022, he joined EFL League One club Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season.[6][7] A day later, he made his debut for the U's as a substitute in the 2–0 away defeat at Bolton Wanderers.[8] On 18 April, it was confirmed that Tolaj had returned to his parent club Brighton after struggling for game time at Cambridge only making five appearances in all competitions.[9]

On 23 August, Tolaj signed for League Two side Salford City on loan for the 2022–23 season.[10] However, on 31 January 2023, Tolaj left Salford and joined Scottish Championship club Dundee on loan until the end of the season.[11] He made his debut for the Dark Blues as a substitute in a league game away to Hamilton Academical.[12] In April 2023, Tolaj return to Brighton after suffering an injury to his achilles tendon, and would only briefly return to Dundee before the issue flared up again.[13][14]

Aldershot Town[edit]

On 7 July 2023, following his release from Brighton, Tolaj joined National League side, Aldershot Town on a one-year deal.[15] Tolaj scored a brace in his debut for the Shots, in a 5–2 league win over Oxford City.[16] On 28 August, Tolaj would play part of a league game away to Eastleigh as a goalkeeper after Shots goalie Jordi van Stappershoef was sent off.[17] On 4 February 2024, the club announced that they had triggered an option in Tolaj's contract that would see him remain at the club until June 2025.[18] This came after an impressive run of form during January, scoring four goals and assisting another, this seeing him named the National League Player of the Month.[19]

International career[edit]

Born in Switzerland, Tolaj is of Kosovan descent.[20] He has represented Switzerland internationally at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.[21] On 19 November 2019, Tolaj scored eight goals in Switzerland U19's 16–1 win over Gibraltar U19, setting the record for the most goals scored in a under-19 Euro qualifier.[22]

Career statistics[edit]

As of 20 April 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion U21 2019–20[23] — — — 1[a] 0 1 0
2021–22[24] — — — 3[a] 2 3 2
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 4 2
Brighton & Hove Albion 2021–22[24] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Cambridge United (loan) 2021–22[24] League One 4 0 1 0 0 0 — 5 0
Salford City (loan) 2022–23[25] League Two 11 0 0 0 — 6[a] 1 17 1
Dundee (loan) 2022–23[25] Scottish Championship 2 0 — — 1[b] 0 3 0
Aldershot Town 2023–24[26] National League 44 19 5 5 — 2[c] 1 51 25
Career total 61 19 6 5 0 0 13 4 80 28
  1. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in FA Trophy

Honours[edit]

Brighton & Hove Albion

Independent

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Lorent Tolaj". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. ^ Mills, Richard (13 September 2021). "Lorent Tolaj recalls his injury woe after helping Brighton U23s beat Blackburn". Sussex Live. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b Bone, Steve (10 May 2022). "Sussex Senior Cup final: Gallant Worthing lose 4–2 to Brighton & Hove Albion U23s". sussexexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  5. ^ https://www.premierleague.com/news/3537083
  6. ^ "Lorent Tolaj: Cambridge United agree loan deal for Brighton forward". BBC Sport. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ^ Page, Stephen (31 January 2022). "U's sign Tolaj on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  8. ^ Page, Stephen (2 February 2022). "U's unbeaten run in League One ends with defeat at Bolton Wanderers". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  9. ^ Page, Stephen (18 April 2022). "Lorent Tolaj returns to Brighton & Hove Albion following Cambridge United loan spell". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  10. ^ Bishop, Matt (23 August 2022). "Lorent Tolaj joins Salford City". Brighton & Hove Albion. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Lorent signs". Dundee Football Club. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Hamilton Academical v Dundee". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  13. ^ Cran, George. "Dundee team news: Zach Robinson, Max Anderson and Ben Williamson updates as one loanee heads back to parent club". The Courier. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  14. ^ Robertson, Neil. "Dundee midfielder Jordan McGhee's season is over". The Courier. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  15. ^ "NEW SIGNING: Lorent Tolaj". Aldershot Town F.C. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Aldershot Town 5–2 Oxford City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Eastleigh 3–0 Aldershot Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Club Option Triggered in Lorent Tolaj's Contract". www.theshots.co.uk. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Cook Collects First Award Of Many As Tolaj Takes Chance". www.thenationalleague.org.uk. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Kosovarët kundër Kosovës!". Lajmet e fundit – Zëri. 7 December 2017.
  21. ^ "Lorent Tolaj » Internationals". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  22. ^ Owen, Brian (20 November 2019). "Eight-goal Albion teen breaks Euro record". The Argus. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  24. ^ a b c "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Games played by Lorent Tolaj in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
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