Nikica JelaviÃÂ (; born 27 August 1985) is a Croatian football manager and former professional player who played as a forward. He is the manager of Croatian Football League club Lokomotiva.
JelaviÃÂ began his career with Croatian side Hajduk Split of the Prva HNL in 2002, before moving to Belgian Pro League club Zulte Waregem in 2007. A year later, he moved to Austrian Bundesliga club Rapid Wien. In 2010, he was signed by Rangers, with whom he won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup in his first season. He moved to England with Everton in January 2012, and Hull City two years later.
JelaviÃÂ is a former Croatian international, debuting in 2009 and retiring in 2014. He represented the country at UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
JelaviÃÂ was born in ÃÂapljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia and started his youth career at his local side GOÃ Â K Gabela, which plays in the Bosnian league system. His career took a more serious turn when he moved to the nearby cross-border club in Croatia, NK Neretva from the town of MetkoviÃÂ, managed by Branko GutiÃÂ.
At the encouragement of Ante Prco, Ivan Gudelj, Draà ¾en Muà ¾iniàand Vilson Dà ¾oni, Jelaviàwas brought to Hajduk Split's junior side at the age of 15. He played his first match for Hajduk's senior side in the Prva HNL at the age of 17. During his time at Hajduk, he suffered a lot of injuries which prevented him to make more appearances for the squad. After he recovered from the injuries, he became a first team regular in the 2006âÂÂ07 Prva HNL season. Despite him playing the whole season, he only managed five league goals and was transfer listed at the end of the season.
In July 2007, JelaviÃÂ signed for Belgian First Division club Zulte Waregem. During his one season at the club, he scored three goals in 23 appearances.
In July 2008, Jelaviàjoined the Austrian champions Rapid Wien. In the 2008âÂÂ09 Austrian Football Bundesliga season, he played 24 games (as first squad in nine and as substitute in 15) and scored seven goals without any yellow or red cards. In 2009âÂÂ10, he played in 33 games (as first squad in 31 and as substitute in two) and scored 18 goals with five yellow cards and one red card. In the Europa League, he played six games and scored four goals with one assist.
In the summer of 2010, JelaviÃÂ was linked with a transfer to Rangers. A fee was originally agreed between the two clubs on 26 July, but the transfer was delayed by a dispute between the player and Rapid Wien over a payment JelaviÃÂ claimed the club owed him. On 19 August, Rapid announced that JelaviÃÂ would be signing for Rangers, after the player announced he would not play in Rapid's Europa League qualifying match against Aston Villa.
On 20 August 2010, Jelaviàcompleted a ã4 million move to Rangers on a four-year deal. He made his debut in a home match against St Johnstone on 28 August 2010. Due to his former club Rapid Wien qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, Jelaviàwas ineligible to participate in Rangers' Champions League campaign, after becoming cup tied after appearing for the Austrian side in the earlier rounds.
On 11 September, Jelaviàscored his first Rangers goal against Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park after he headed in a Kyle Lafferty cross. On 21 September, Jelaviàplayed against Dunfermline Athletic in the League Cup, scoring two goals in the game including an overhead kick in a 7âÂÂ2 win for Rangers. In Rangers next away match to Aberdeen at Pittodrie, Jelaviàscored what the winning goal in a 3âÂÂ2 Rangers win. Rangers were 2âÂÂ0 down before coming back to win the match with Jelaviàscoring the third Rangers goal. The next week Jelaviàwas injured in a match against Hearts at Tynecastle, suffering ankle ligament damage due to a tackle by Hearts midfielder Ian Black. Jelaviàclaimed that Black had intended to injure him, a charge denied by his opponent, who apologized for the challenge. He scored two goals in a match against Dundee United in October 2011.
After making his comeback off of the bench, Jelaviàstarted his first match since his injury on 26 January 2011, scoring away from home against Hibernian in the first half. JelaviÃÂ's first hat-trick for Rangers came in a 6âÂÂ0 win over Motherwell on 12 February 2011 at Ibrox Stadium. In Rangers' 4âÂÂ0 victory against St Johnstone on 27 February 2011, Jelaviàscored two goals and assisted a third with a backheel pass. On 20 March 2011, Jelaviàscored the winning goal in extra time in Rangers' 2âÂÂ1 win over Celtic in the 2011 Scottish League Cup Final. He then scored in consecutive away 1âÂÂ0 victories over Hamilton Academical and Aberdeen. Jelaviàrounded off the season by scoring five goals in the last six matches of the season including a goal and two assists in Rangers' 5âÂÂ1 title winning victory against Kilmarnock on the last matchday of the season. Jelaviàreceived the SFA goal of the season award for his goal against Aberdeen. Jelaviàended the 2010âÂÂ11 season with the best goals to game ratio in Scotland after scoring 19 goals in just 27 starts, better than any other striker in Scotland.
On 22 July 2011, a day before Rangers opening match of the season against Hearts, it was announced that Jelaviàwould wear the number 9 shirt for the 2011âÂÂ12 season, switching from number 18. On 30 August 2011, it was reported that Rangers had rejected a ã6.5 million bid from Championship club Leicester City for JelaviÃÂ. Jelaviàscored his first European goal for Rangers on 3 August 2011 in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Malmö FF in a UEFA Champions League qualifying game. On 5 November 2011 Jelaviàscored his first brace of the season helping Rangers to a 3âÂÂ1 victory over Dundee United. Jelaviàscored another two goals in a 2âÂÂ0 win over Hibernian on 10 December 2011. His third brace of the season came on 14 January 2012 in a 2âÂÂ1 win over St Johnstone. Jelaviàleft Rangers having scored a total of 36 goals in a total of 55 appearances in all competitions.
On 31 January 2012, Jelaviàsigned a four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton for a fee of ã5 million. He made his debut a few days later, as a second-half substitute for Denis Stracqualursi, in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. On 10 March 2012, Jelaviàscored his first goal for Everton in his first start for the club, scoring the only goal of the game in a 1âÂÂ0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park. His first FA Cup goal was the opener in a 2âÂÂ0 win against Sunderland in a quarter-final replay at the Stadium of Light. Jelaviàscored his first brace for Everton, a 2âÂÂ2 away draw against Norwich City in the league, and the following week he scored the opening goal in a 2âÂÂ1 defeat by neighbours Liverpool, in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium.
Jelaviàscored twice in a 4âÂÂ4 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, becoming the first Everton player to score in five successive away games since Duncan McKenzie in 1977âÂÂ78. In scoring twice against Fulham he became the quickest player to reach ten goals at Everton since Tom Browell in 1912. Jelaviàwas named the Premier League Player of the Month for April 2012, the first Croatian to achieve this. Jelaviàscored his 11th goal for Everton against Newcastle United on the final day of the season and finished the season as Everton's top scorer both in the league and overall.
Jelaviàstarted the 2012âÂÂ13 season with goals against Aston Villa, Southampton, Wigan, Sunderland, Tottenham and Cheltenham Town, but his form declined and Victor Anichebe was used as Everton's main striker for the second half of the season. In 2013âÂÂ14 the loan signing Romelu Lukaku was preferred to JelaviÃÂ, who did not register a goal until January when he scored twice against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round. Though Everton manager Roberto MartÃÂnez was reluctant to sell the Croatian, Jelaviàsought a move to Hull City in order to try and play more first team football ahead of the World Cup. Less than a week later Everton accepted a transfer bid from Hull.
On 15 January 2014, Jelaviàsigned for Hull for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half-year deal. He made his debut for Hull away against Norwich City on 18 January 2014, which Hull lost 1âÂÂ0. He scored his first goal for Hull in a 2âÂÂ0 win away at Sunderland on 8 February 2014. His second and third goals both came in Hull's 4âÂÂ0 away win at Cardiff City on 22 February 2014. He scored his fourth and final goal of the season in the 2âÂÂ2 draw away to Fulham on 26 April 2014. He finished his first season at Hull with four goals from 16 Premier League appearances, but both he and strike partner Shane Long were cup-tied for the team's run to the 2014 FA Cup Final.
In Hull's maiden European season Jelaviàreturned from Croatia's 2014 World Cup campaign early due to the sale of his strike partner Shane Long. He came on as a substitute in three of Hull's four Europa League matches, playing once against AS TrenÃÂÃÂn and twice against Lokeren. In the Premier League, Jelaviàgot off to a very bright start, starting in Hull's first five matches while scoring three goals, with the goals coming in the 1âÂÂ1 draw with Stoke City, the 2âÂÂ1 defeat against Aston Villa and the 2âÂÂ2 draw against Newcastle.
On 1 September 2015, Jelaviàsigned a two-year contract with West Ham United with an option for a further two years. He made his West Ham debut on 19 September, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute for Manuel Lanzini in a 2âÂÂ1 away win against Manchester City. He scored his first goal for the club in an FA Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 9 January 2016.
On 15 February 2016, JelaviÃÂ transferred to China League One side Beijing Renhe.
In February 2017, JelaviÃÂ loaned to Guizhou Zhicheng on a one-year loan deal. He made a permanent transfer to Guizhou Zhicheng on 4 December 2017.
On 31 August 2020, JelaviÃÂ joined Lokomotiva. On 1 March 2021, Lokomotiva coach Jerko Leko revealed that JelaviÃÂ and teammate Sammir decided to end their professional careers, and that the club respected their decisions.
In 2007, Jelaviàwas called up to the Croatia squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, although he did not feature in any of the qualifying matches for the competition. Jelaviàeventually made his full international debut in a friendly match against Qatar on 8 October 2009 in Rijeka, coming on as a substitute for Ivan Klasniàin the 64th minute in which he also scored his first international goal to secure his team a 3âÂÂ2 win in the final moments of the match. On 14 October 2009, he made his first competitive international appearance for Croatia, in the team's final 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in Astana, again coming on as a substitute for KlasniÃÂ, in the 77th minute.
In 2010, he made five international appearances, scoring the equaliser in a 1âÂÂ1 friendly match against Slovakia in Bratislava.
Jelaviàwas selected for Croatia's Euro 2012 squad. He scored his first competitive international goal and his country's second in their first group stage match against Republic of Ireland resulting in a 3âÂÂ1 win. He also featured in Croatia's group stage matches against Italy and Spain but did not score and Croatia was eliminated after the group stage.
Jelaviàfeatured in Croatia's first qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil against Macedonia, scoring the only goal in a 1âÂÂ0 win. He scored later in a friendly match against South Korea at Craven Cottage in early February 2013.
In the opening match of the 2014 World Cup, on 12 June against the hosts Brazil in São Paulo, he mishit a cross from Ivica Oliàwhich was deflected by opponent Marcelo for the first goal of the tournament. Croatia eventually lost 3âÂÂ1.
On 11 October 2014, dissatisfied with the status he had within the national team, JelaviÃÂ announced his retirement from international football.
JelaviÃÂ is married to Dajana JelaviÃÂ, whom he had started dating when he was 17 years old. Together they have two daughters.
Hajduk Split
Rangers
Individual