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Lukasz ZaluskaPolish footballer, goalkeeper
Date of Birth: 17.06.1982
Country:  Poland |
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Lukas Zaluska
Lukas Zaluska is a Polish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Wisla Krakow.
Early Career
Born in Wysokie Mazowieckie, Poland, on June 16, 1982, Zaluska began his footballing career with local club Ruch in 1997. However, he left after a few months and joined MSP Szamotuły. A year later, he moved to Sparta Oborniki and subsequently to Zryw.
Polish Years
In 2001, Zaluska joined Stomil Olsztyn, making his debut in the Polish Ekstraklasa in August of the same year. He moved to Legia Warsaw in 2002 but did not feature for the club. In 2004, he was loaned to Jagiellonia Białystok, appearing in 16 games. That same year, Korona Kielce acquired Zaluska, and he reached the 2006/07 Polish Cup final with the club.
Dundee United
On May 30, 2007, Zaluska signed a two-year contract with Scottish Premier League club Dundee United. He initially became their first-choice goalkeeper in pre-season matches. However, during training, he suffered a serious leg injury, prompting United to sign his compatriot Grzegorz Szamotulski as a short-term replacement. Zaluska recovered in late October but re-injured his leg a few days later.
He made his Dundee United debut on January 26, 2008, against Kilmarnock. On February 5, Zaluska helped his team reach the League Cup semi-final with a strong performance against Aberdeen. Afterwards, the Scottish Football Association questioned him about his actions during the game, where he returned objects thrown at him by Aberdeen fans towards their supporters. One of the thrown coins struck referee Iain Brines. A month later, Zaluska was fined £500 and warned of further disciplinary action.
Celtic
On December 17, 2008, Zaluska announced he would not extend his contract with Dundee United. On December 23, he signed a pre-contract with Celtic, joining the club in the summer of the following year. He officially became a Celtic player on June 1, 2009.
Zaluska made his Celtic debut in the fourth round of the Champions League, where they lost 3-1 to Arsenal. On October 25, he made his Scottish Premier League debut as a substitute against Hamilton Academical, replacing the injured Artur Boruc.
In the 2010/11 season, Zaluska became Celtic's first-choice goalkeeper after Boruc's departure to Fiorentina. However, he returned to the role of backup after Fraser Forster joined on loan from Newcastle United.
International Career
Zaluska received his first call-up to the Poland national team in August 2008, as a replacement for the suspended Boruc, but did not play. He made his debut on June 6, 2009, against South Africa. To date, that remains his only appearance for Poland.
