Oleksii Shliakotin

Oleksii Ihorovych Shliakotin (Олексій Ігорович Шлякотін; born 2 September 1989) is a Ukrainian professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Hong Kong Premier League club Rangers.

Club career
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Aleks is a graduate of the Dynamo Kyiv football academy of Valeriy Lobanovskyi, where he was enrolled in 1997 (aged 8) by Oleksandr Lysenko, and played at its various levels. By doing so, Aleks left his family home when was eleven. In 2005 Aleks was called up to Ukraine national under-17 football team. In 2006, he signed his first professional contract with the second division team Dynamo-3 Kyiv.

In July 2010 (aged 20), Aleks moved to Poland, where he has played for the next 5 years. In January 2011 Shliakotin got an offer from the MŠK Žilina (champions of Slovakia), but transfer wasn't realized.

In January 2012, Aleks was brought to the attention of Leszek Ojrzynski, and subsequently signed for Korona Kielce, where he has worked with Maciej Szczesny.

In early July 2015, Aleks signed a two-year deal with recently promoted C.F. União.

In 2016, Aleks moved to Hong Kong, and signed for Hong Kong Premier League club Biu Chun Glory Sky.

In May 2017, Aleks was nominated for "Goalkeeper of the Year", and "Player of The Year" in Hong Kong Premier League. Three of his saves were nominated for "Save of the Year" in Hong Kong Premier League.

On 2 August 2017, it was revealed that Rangers had signed Aleks.

On 22 October 2020, Rangers announced that Aleks would return to the club after two years away from the game.

On 4 October 2022, Aleks joined Sham Shui Po. He later joined the club to get first team football.

On 31 January 2024, Aleks was loaned to Rangers.

In July 2024, Alkes officially rejoined Rangers.

Personal life
Aleks is married to Panamanian restaurateur Elizabeth Caballero. Aleks spoke out about the invasion in Ukraine, saying: "It’s definitely the worst feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life – definitely the hardest moments I’ve ever been through" and that his parents were living in Kyiv when the invasion took place. As a result, his parents and sister lost their house and took refuge in Germany, where they received "refugee status".

Having lived in Hong Kong for seven years, Aleks said he's open to playing for the national team and is eligible to apply for a Hong Kong passport.

Club

 * Rangers
 * Hong Kong Sapling Cup: 2023–24