Mijo Caktaš

Mijo Caktaš (born 8 May 1992) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Hajduk Split in the Croatian First Football League.

Mijo Caktaš
Caktaš with Hajduk Split
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-05-08) 8 May 1992
Place of birth Split, Croatia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Hajduk Split
Number 10
Youth career
Dugopolje
2004–2007 Omladinac Vranjic
2007–2008 Dugopolje
2009–2011 Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Dugopolje 21 (1)
2011–2016 Hajduk Split 95 (27)
2011–2012 → Dugopolje (loan) 14 (4)
2016–2018 Rubin Kazan 38 (5)
2018– Hajduk Split 73 (45)
National team‡
2010 Croatia U19 2 (0)
2012–2013 Croatia U20 4 (1)
2012–2014 Croatia U21 5 (0)
2019– Croatia 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 July 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 June 2020

Club career

A native of Dugopolje, Mijo Caktaš started training with his hometown club NK Dugopolje, moving to the NK Omladinac Vranjic youth team when he was 14. After two seasons there he returned to Dugopolje, debuting for the senior team in the 2008–09 season of the Treća HNL South, at only 16 years old, he drew the attention of Hajduk Split scouts.[1]

Hajduk

He was integrated in the Hajduk U19 team the following season. In summer 2011, he was sent to Dugopolje on loan, and his performances in the autumn Druga HNL leader earned him a call back to the Hajduk first team. In February 2012, he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club. He made his debut for the first team in a 1–1 draw against Istra 1961 on 25 February 2012.[2] The following month, he scored his first goal in Prva HNL in a 3–0 win against Rijeka and also provided two assists for Ante Vukušić.[3] In the next game, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Cibalia.[4]

In the 2012/13 season, Caktaš had an explosion of form as he became a main member of the first team at Poljud. He scored nine goals and assisted six more in 30 league games. The 2013/14 season started similarly well, with the player scoring two in his first seven games, but suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in round 5 and didn't return until the closing phase of the season, making just three more appearances that season.

With a full pre-season, Mijo Caktaš returned stronger than ever for the 2014-15 season. Good performances followed and the player captained his side for the first time against RNK Split in a round 9 encounter. Caktaš finished the season with 11 goals in 42 games.

Caktaš scored four goals in the Europa League Qualifiers in the 2015/16 season as Hajduk bowed out to Slovan Liberec in the final qualifying round. After good early performances in the league as well, Caktaš was handed an improved contract on 21 September 2015, ending in mid-2018.[5]

Rubin Kazan

On 21 January 2016 he was transferred to Rubin Kazan for €1m. He signed a contract until 2019. In January 2018, Caktaš terminated his contract with Rubin Kazan due to the non-payment of wages.[6] Rubin disputed his decision to terminate his contract and entered legal proceedings against the player. In total, Caktaš made 38 appearances for the club over two years, scoring five goals and making six assists.

Return to Hajduk

After terminating his contract with Rubin, Caktaš returned to Hajduk, signing a three and a half year deal.[7] In July 2018, he made his 150th Hajduk appearance in a 1-0 win over PFC Slavia Sofia.[8]

Caktaš finished the 2018-19 season as the league's top-scorer with 19 goals, and as the second best scorer of all midfielders in Europe, just behind Sporting's Bruno Fernandes that scored 20.[9]. He also won the Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award for the best player in the league that season.

He maintained the goalscoring form in the following season, netting 20 matches in 32 games, just like the Rijeka striker Antonio Čolak who won the top scorer award due to a smaller play-time.

International career

In August 2015, he received a first call-up for the senior national team for the Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Norway, but remained an unused substitute in both matches.[10]

On 27 May 2019, Croatian manager Zlatko Dalić activated Caktaš's stand-by call up for matches against Wales and Tunisia.[11] He debuted in the friendly against Tunisia.

Career statistics

Club
As of 26 July 2020
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
NK Dugopolje 2008–09 Croatian Third Football League 21100––211
2011–12 Croatian Second Football League 14400––144
Total 355000000355
HNK Hajduk Split 2011–12 Croatian First Football League 11200––112
2012–13 3098140–4210
2013–14 6100411[lower-alpha 1]1113
2014–15 3195062–4211
2015–16 1763084–2810
FC Rubin Kazan 2015–16 Russian Premier League 111–––111
2016–17 17240––212
2017–18 10200––102
Total 385400000425
HNK Hajduk Split 2017–18 Croatian First Football League 13620––156
2018–19 28192042–3421
2019–20 32201000–3320
Total (2 spells) 168722112691121582
Career total 239802512691129091

Notes
  1. One appearance in Croatian Football Super Cup

Honours

Club
  • Croatian Cup: 2012-13

Individual

References
  1. Alfirević, Slaven (6 February 2012). "Caktaš: Potpisao sam, važno je igrat pa će sve drugo doć samo od sebe!". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  2. Jurišić, Bernard (25 February 2012). "Vukušić spasio bod Hajduku protiv Istre". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  3. Filipović, Vedran (21 March 2012). "Hajduku uvjerljiv trijumf na Kantridi". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  4. Jurišić, Bernard (25 March 2012). "Caktaš donio nove bodove Hajduku". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  5. http://hajduk.hr/vijest/mijo-caktas-potpisao-novi-ugovor-do-ljeta-2018--godine/6322
  6. "Prodali su ga za milijun eura, a on se sad besplatno vratio na Poljud". tportal.hr. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  7. "Mijo Caktas back in Hajduk!". hajduk.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. "Mijo Caktaš upisao 150. službeni nastup za Hajduk". hajduk.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  9. "Mijo Caktaš top HT First League goalscorer!". hajduk.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  10. "Mijo Caktas, Lovre Kalinic to make Croatia squad for Euro 2016 qualifiers". internationalsoccerteams.com. 20 August 2015. Archived from the original on 29 May 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  11. "Mijo Caktaš i službeno pozvan u reprezentaciju Hrvatske". dalmatinskiportal.hr. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
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