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Mindaugas KalonasLithuanian footballer, midfielder
Date of Birth: 28.02.1984
Country:  Lithuania |
Content:
- Early Life and Career
- Russian and Latvian Stints
- Russian Return and Latvian Success
- Ukrainian and Polish Ventures
- Achievements
Early Life and Career
Mingaunas Kalonas, a Lithuanian national, was born on February 28, 1984, in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. His football journey began at the local club, Zalgiris Vilnius, where he honed his skills.
Russian and Latvian Stints
At the age of 18, Kalonas made a significant move to Russian club Dinamo Moscow in 2002. He played 22 games and scored 4 goals for the reserve team. After that, he moved to the reserve team of Rubin Kazan, where he featured in 32 games and netted 5 goals. He also spent time on trial with Portuguese club Braga.
In 2005, Kalonas joined Metalurgs Liepaja in Latvia, where he made a significant impact. He played a crucial role in the team's Latvian Championship triumph that year and lifted the Latvian Cup the following year in 2006.
Russian Return and Latvian Success
Kalonas returned to Russia in 2007, signing for Kuban Krasnodar. However, he primarily played for the reserve team, appearing in only one match for the first team. He then moved back to Latvia to play for Riga FC.
His impressive performances for Riga in the Intertoto Cup caught the attention of Irish club Bohemians, who acquired him in the summer of 2008. Kalonas quickly established himself as one of the team's leaders, playing 12 matches and scoring 6 goals within half a year. He played a pivotal role in Bohemians' Irish Championship victory that season and scored the decisive penalty that sealed the Irish Cup.
Ukrainian and Polish Ventures
Kalonas moved to Metalurh Zaporizhya in Ukraine in the winter of 2009. He made 31 appearances and scored 1 goal in the Ukrainian league, also featuring in the cup. Additionally, he played 10 matches in the Ukrainian youth championship.
After a brief trial at Metalurgs Liepaja in 2011, Kalonas joined Polish club OKS Stomil Olsztyn in the summer of 2012. He wore the number 8 jersey for the team.
Achievements
Club- Metalurgs Liepaja
- Latvian Championship: 2005
- Latvian Cup: 2006
- Baltic League: 2007
- Bohemians
- Irish Championship: 2008
- Irish Cup: 2008
Personal
- Lithuanian Footballer of the Year: 2013
