| Elvir Gigolaj | |
| Fullname: | Elvir Gigolaj |
| Birth Date: | 30 June 1992 |
| Birth Place: | Croatia |
| Height: | 1.85 m |
| Position: | Forward |
| Collegeyears1: | 2010–2011 |
| Collegecaps1: | 26 |
| Collegegoals1: | 11 |
| Years1: | 2011 |
| Years2: | 2012–2013 |
| Caps2: | 6 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 2016–2017 |
| Caps3: | 39 |
| Goals3: | 40 |
| Years4: | 2021 |
| Years5: | 2024– |
| Club-Update: | 8 February 2019 |
Elvir Gigolaj (born 30 June 1992) is a Bosnian footballer who plays with Hamilton City.
Gigolaj was born in Croatia to a Kosovar Albanian father and Bosniak mother from Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was raised in London, Ontario, where his father owns a bakery that carries the family name.[1]
He, at one point, played for London City's soccer side who participated in the Canadian Soccer League and with whom he had a good relationship with his coach, Luka Shaqiri.[1] [2]
Gigolaj attended St. Mary's University for two years from 2010 to 2012, playing for the Huskies in the 2010 and 2011 varsity seasons, scoring 11 goals in 26 appearances.[3] [4]
In January 2012, after training with the team, Gigolaj officially joined FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League.[1] Gigolaj then made his debut for FC Edmonton in the NASL on 3 June 2012 in which he came on as an 85th-minute substitute for Yashir Pinto as FC Edmonton went on to lose the match 2–1.[5]
He then scored his first professional goal of his career on 23 September 2012 against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in which he found the net in the 90th minute to start a late comeback for Edmonton as they went from 2–0 down to finishing the match drawing 2–2.[6]
On 30 June 2013, it was announced that Gigolaj was released by FC Edmonton.[7]
After being released by FC Edmonton, Gigolaj attempted to join the reserve team of German Bundesliga side, Hertha BSC but he had hit paperwork problems.[8]
Gigolaj spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons with League1 Ontario club FC London.[9] [10]
In 2021, he returned to the Canadian Soccer League to play with St. Catharines Hrvat.[11] Gigolaj signed with league rivals Hamilton City in 2024.[12]
FC London
| Club | League | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| FC Edmonton | NASL | 2012 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| FC Edmonton total | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |||
| FC London | League1 Ontario | 2016[15] | 20 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 25 | |
| 2017[16] | 19 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 17 | |||
| Total | 39 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 42 | |||
| Career total | 45 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 42 | |||