Lithuanian bronze medalists FK Žalgiris Vilnius have announced the signing of former FC Hegelmann goalkeeper Vincentas Šarkauskas, continuing an active offseason as the club builds toward the new campaign.
Just one day earlier, FC Hegelmann confirmed that their three-year partnership with the 26-year-old goalkeeper had come to an end. Only hours later, Žalgiris moved quickly to secure his signature.
Šarkauskas arrives in Vilnius as one of the more experienced goalkeepers in the Lithuanian top flight. Over the course of his career, he has made 101 appearances in the A Lyga, representing Atlantas Klaipėda, FK Riteriai, FC Džiugas Telšiai, DFK Dainava Alytus, and most recently spending the last three seasons with FC Hegelmann.
The 2025 campaign proved to be one of the strongest of his career. In 25 league matches, Šarkauskas conceded just 26 goals and recorded 10 clean sheets. Despite his consistency, the club once again narrowly missed out on silverware, finishing second in the league and falling short in the Lithuanian Cup final.
Žalgiris sporting director Giedrius Klevinskas expressed his satisfaction with the signing:
“I have known Vincent for many years. We are delighted that this reliable goalkeeper has joined our team. He is still a rising player, so it will be exciting to continue monitoring his potential closely.”
Addressing Žalgiris supporters for the first time, Šarkauskas was equally clear about his ambitions, saying he is delighted to join an organization of Žalgiris’ stature and is focused on achieving the club’s highest possible goals.
The goalkeeper becomes Žalgiris Vilnius’ fourth official signing of the offseason, following the arrivals of Deividas Šešplaukis (FA Šiauliai), Klaudijus Upstas – a long-time teammate of Šarkauskas at Hegelmann – and Darius Stankevičius from FK Sūduva.
