Lithuania’s vice-champions are set to welcome another newcomer. The blue and whites have reached an agreement with Donatas Kazlauskas, a player with extensive experience in A lyga. The new FC Hegelmann signing is joining the team from Šiauliai.
“I was able to make the decision to join the Hegelmann team quickly, even though I was very close to an agreement with another club. However, I felt that this would be the right team and environment to continue my career,” shared Donatas Kazlauskas. Kaunas is not an unfamiliar city for the striker, as 13 years ago, D. Kazlauskas played for the National Football Academy team and competed in Pirma lyga with the Atletas team. In 2012, he was invited to join FK Žalgiris Vilnius, which gave the 17-year-old the opportunity to debut in Lithuania’s top league.
“Although I’ve only been with the blue and white club for a couple of days, I already feel good. Everything fits,” the player said. “Kaunas is a well-known city to me, and it’s truly a pleasure to return here, especially since we’ll be playing in a new stadium.”
After his stint in Vilnius, the blue-and-white newcomer moved closer to home, joining Atlantas in Klaipėda, where he enjoyed two productive seasons in A Lyga. In the 2014 A Lyga season, he scored 12 goals and provided 5 assists. That same year, he was recognized as the best young footballer in Lithuania. From Klaipėda, he had a brief spell with Gdańsk’s Lechia in Poland, but he failed to establish himself there. Following a successful second stint with Atlantas, the midfielder transferred mid-season in 2018 to Trakai, which is now know as FK Riteriai. During the final stretch of the season, he scored 9 goals in 13 matches, earning him a spot in the symbolic 2018 A Lyga Team of the Year.
He continued playing for the club during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Short stints with Ukraine’s Lviv and Romania’s Academica followed, before the player returned to “Žalgiris” in the spring of 2022.
“I hope the injuries stay in the past, and I can avoid them this year, regain good form, and help the team achieve its goals. I’m very motivated,” D.Kazlauskas said about his previous season with Šiauliai and his future with the Kaunas district club. It is worth noting that Kazlauskas has played 34 matches for the Lithuanian national team, scoring 2 goals.
In the upcoming season, the blue-and-white’s newcomer will wear the jersey with the number 39.
Source: https://www.sportas.lt/naujiena/513967/d-kazlauskas-tapo-hegelmann-nariu
