Polish 2. Liga side Zagłębie Sosnowiec has announced the signing of Deniss Rakels, a former Latvian national team forward, to a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season.
The 32-year-old winger first made a name for himself at Liepājas Metalurgs before moving to Zagłębie Lubin, where he played sporadically as an 18-year-old. He then had a successful loan spell at GKS Katowice, scoring 16 goals in 47 appearances.
In 2014, Rakels joined Cracovia, becoming a fan favorite and finishing as the team’s top scorer in the 2015/16 season with 15 goals in 20 games. This led to his move to Reading in the English Championship. He started strong there but suffered a fractured ankle the following season that hampered his progress, and his time with Reading was over.
Following loan spells with Lech Poznań and a return to Cracovia, where he could not return to his old form, he moved to Cypriot side Pafos. Later, he returned to Latvia, where he won titles with both Riga FC and FC RFS. After a short stint with SK Super Nova, in the summer of 2023, Deniss signed with Hutnik Kraków. He made 50 appearances and contributed 13 goals and nine assists.
Now, Rakels has joined Zagłębie Sosnowiec, a team that recently faced relegation to the third division. The club features notable players, including the current team’s top scorer and once a Riga FC forward Kamil Bilinski, as well as former Polish Ekstaklasa MVP Joel Valencia. Currently, Sosnowiec is in 6th place in the Polish 2. Liga table.
Source: https://zaglebie.eu/wpisy/deniss-rakels-nowym-zawodnikiem-zaglebia-sosnowiec/