Žan-Luk Leban

Žan-Luk Leban

Personal information
Date of birth	(2002-12-15) 15 December 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Trbovlje, Slovenia[1]
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Everton
Youth career
0000–2019	FCB Escola Varsovia
2019–2023	Everton
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–	Everton	0	(0)
2023–2024	→ Farsley Celtic (loan)	41	(0)
International career^‡
2017–2018	Slovenia U16	4	(0)
2018–2019	Slovenia U17	10	(0)
2023–	Slovenia U21	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2023

Žan-Luk Leban (born 15 December 2002) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Everton.[2][3]

He has played for Slovenia's under-16, under-17 and under-21 teams.

Early life

Born in Trbovlje,[1] Leban moved to Poland at the age of six as his parents were looking for work.[4] As a youth player for FCB Escola Varsovia, he attracted the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, and Liverpool.[5] At the age of 15, he attended trials with Barcelona and almost signed for the team.[6]

Club career

Everton

Leban joined Everton's youth academy in June 2019.[7] In the 2020–21 FA Youth Cup fourth round match against Manchester City, Leban made some important saves and was praised for his performance as Everton won 1–0.[8][9] He was first included in the Everton senior squad on 20 March 2021 for the 2020–21 FA Cup quarter-final match against Manchester City, when Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti called up two youth goalkeepers due to injuries; however, he was an unused substitute as João Virgínia started the match.[10]

In February 2023, Leban extended his contract with Everton until the summer of 2025.[11]

In August 2023, he went on a season-long loan to National League North side Farsley Celtic.[12][13]

Personal life

He is the son of former Slovenian basketball international Boštjan Leban.[14]

References

1. "Mladi Slovenec na klopi Evertona proti Manchester Cityju" (in Slovenian). Nogomania. 21 March 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
2. "Žan Luk Leban". worldfootball.net.
3. "Slovenia – Ž. Leban – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
4. "Sukces młodego bramkarza z Warszawy. 15-latek jedzie na testy do Barcelony". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). 7 December 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
5. Kališnik, Grega (11 March 2023). "Moj cilj je postati najboljši golman na svetu". Delo (in Slovenian). Retrieved 31 May 2023.
6. "Nastolatek z Polski bardzo blisko Barcelony. Pomyślnie przeszedł testy". sport.pl (in Polish). 23 December 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
7. "Z Polski do Premier League. "Wow, on jest dobry!"". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). 11 January 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
8. Carroll, Sam (4 April 2021). "Everton find new goalkeeper as Marcel Brands favourite steps up". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
9. "Novi OBLAK?!? V Angliji OPEVAJO SLOVENCA: To je bila ČUDEŽNA predstava, saj je ..." Ekipa24.si (in Slovenian). 5 April 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
10. "Mladi slovenski vratarski up blizu debija za Everton". Sportklub (in Slovenian). 22 March 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
11. "Everton še naprej računa na mladega slovenskega vratarja: Žan-Luk Leban podaljšal pogodbo s klubom iz Liverpoola". planetnogomet.si (in Slovenian). 9 February 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
12. "Leban Heads Out On Loan". evertonfc.com. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
13. "Farsley Celtic sign goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban from Premier League club Everton". West Leeds Dispatch. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
14. "EVERTON pripeljal SLOVENCA! Preizkušala ga je BARCELONA, izbral je Anglijo". Ekipa24.si (in Slovenian). 9 July 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

External links

• Žan-Luk Leban at Soccerway
• Žan-Luk Leban at the Football Association of Slovenia (in Slovene)