Aleksandr Kerzhakov

Aleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov (Александр Анатольевич Кержаков ; born 27 November 1982) is a Russian football manager and former professional football player who played as a striker.

He is the most prolific goalscorer in the history of Russian football, with the number of goals scored in competitive games standing at 233.

He is described as a forward who likes to "drop deep to link with the midfield, expecting players to break beyond him" for whom he creates space.

Born in Kingisepp, Leningrad Oblast, he spent the 2000 season at amateur club FC Svetogorets Svetogorsk, helping them win the Northwest regional league by scoring 18 goals.

In 2001 Kerzhakov transferred to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, debuting in March and scoring his first goal in June against Spartak Moscow.

In his first season, Kerzhakov was the second choice striker behind Hennadiy Popovych.

However, later in 2001, he helped Zenit finish third in the Russian Premier League and runners-up in 2003.

A full international since 2002, Kerzhakov earned 90 caps for Russia and played at two World Cups and two European Championships.

In 2002, Kerzhakov developed a striking partnership with Andrey Arshavin which earned them both call-ups to the Russian national team.

That year Kerzhakov represented Russia at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In 2003, Czech manager Vlastimil Petržela used Kerzhakov as a first choice striker and he became the top scorer of the Russian Premier League the following season.

While under Petržela, Kerzhakov started in all four group games of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup and went on to score a hat trick in a 5–1 victory over AEK Athens.

The following season, he was in the starting line up once again in Zenit's second straight UEFA Cup campaign.

Zenit qualified for the round of 32 by overcoming Vitória, Beşiktaş, Bolton, and Sevilla.

In the knockout stages, Kerzhakov scored against Rosenborg and Olympique de Marseille as Zenit reached the quarterfinals to face Sevilla.

Kerzhakov gave his best performance by scoring a goal in the away leg but could not save his team as they lost out 5–2 on aggregate.

With decreased playing timed following the appointment of Dick Advocaat at Zenit, Kerzhakov transferred to Sevilla in December 2006, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract worth €5 million, as part of the deal of the partnership of the clubs.

Under then manager Juande Ramos, Kerzhakov featured alongside Luís Fabiano and Frédéric Kanouté.

Kerzhakov later contributed to Sevilla's victorious run in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup season.

He played his first match on 14 January 2007 and scored his first goal on 28 January 2007 in a 4–2 victory against Levante UD.

He scored the winning goal against Tottenham in a 4–3 victory in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals on 5 April 2007.

After Juande Ramos moved to Tottenham Hotspur in October 2007, Kerzhakov's playing time decreased under caretaker manager Manuel Jiménez.

Being selected behind Luís Fabiano, Frédéric Kanouté, Javier Chevantón, and Arouna Koné, it was speculated that Kerzhakov would quit Sevilla following interest from Tottenham, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain.

According to Russian newspaper Sport-Express, on 30 January 2008, Kerzhakov stated he would stay at Sevilla to help in the La Liga and UEFA Champions League campaigns.

In February 2008, after being left out of Sevilla's Champions League tie against Fenerbahçe, Kerzhakov signed a three-year contract with Russian side Dinamo Moscow.

Kerzhakov established himself as a first choice striker with Tsvetan Genkov and Cícero, scoring his first goal against FC Moscow.

He finished the 2008 season as the top scorer in the squad with seven goals, helping the club finish in third place and earn a play off spot in the qualifiers for the UEFA Champions League.

During the 2009 season, Kerzhakov maintained his spot as a first choice striker ahead of Aleksandr Kokorin and Fyodor Smolov but Dynamo finished eighth and lost to Celtic and CSKA Sophia in an attempt to qualify for the Champions League and inaugural Europa League.

In January 2010, Kerzhakov rescinded the last year of his contract with Dynamo and returned to his first professional club Zenit St. Petersburg.

Under incoming manager Luciano Spalletti, Kerzhakov became the first choice striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation and managed twenty six appearances.

He scored his first goal against CSKA Moscow in April 2010 and followed up with two hat tricks against R.S.C. Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa League and Saturn Moscow in the domestic league.

The following season began with a disappointing loss to FC Twente in the round of 16 of the Europa League.

However, Kerzhakov went on to score 23 goals in 32 appearances in the Russian Premier League, finishing as the second highest goal scorer behind CSKA Moscow's Seydou Doumbia.

Zenit finished first in the regular season and then won the championship group in the spring of 2012 to claim their second league title in two years.

During the 2012–13 season, Kerzhakov was a first choice striker in Spalletti's 4-2-3-1 formation, netting 11 goals in the league, including braces against Amkar Perm, Mordovia Saransk, and Spartak Vladikavkaz.

He participated in the UEFA Champions League, scoring his only goal outside the Russian Premier League against Anderlecht.

After Zenit failed to make the knockout stage, Kerzhakov played in the UEFA Europa League but failed to score as his club lost to F.C. Basel in the round of 16.

With Spalletti purchasing Salomón Rondón midway through the 2013–14 season, Kerzhakov's playing time decreased amid reports of a strained relationship with the Italian manager.

In 2014, he surpassed the record held by Vladimir Beschastnykh for most goals for the Russian national team.

After the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas in March 2014, Kerzhakov in five of the last nine matches of the season as Zenit finished in second place behind CSKA Moscow.