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The Vilnius city football club "Žalgiris" strengthened its attacking line with experienced forward Andrius Velička.
The 34-year-old footballer played last season for the Azerbaijani club "Azal" in Baku.
A.Velička has been training with the Žalgiris team since last week. The player, who left a positive impression on the team's coach Marek Zub during training, was able to prove his worth before the start of the Europa League qualification matches.
"I am happy to have become part of the team. It is very nice to return to Lithuania after long journeys abroad and represent the strongest team in the country at the moment. I am very pleased that 'Žalgiris' showed interest in me. I will give all my strength to help the team achieve its goals," said Andrius Velička, who officially signed a contract with the Lithuanian champions on Thursday.
"I know many Žalgiris players. They all spoke warmly about the team. I spent a lot of time training with them and formed a great impression. The coach explained his philosophy of the game. We will talk more about my role in the future.
Unlike most other players, I am very pleased to return home to Lithuania. Maybe the football conditions here are not ideal, but playing at home is more important. I hope to end my career in Lithuania.
This year I watched a lot of Žalgiris matches. I followed other Lithuanian football news, I know all the current events, so returning to the A league will not cause any difficulties," said the Žalgiris newcomer.
"I am a fighter on the field. My strengths are playing in the "second tier". Like every forward, I love scoring goals, but I will try to be useful in other aspects of the game. The most important thing is for 'Žalgiris' to achieve as many victories as possible and win significant titles. I believe we will win the Lithuanian championship and perform successfully in the Europa League," said the forward.
During his long career, A.Velička played for FBK "Kaunas", Machačkala's "Anzhi" (Russia), Pavlodar's "Irtysh" (Kazakhstan), Edinburgh's "Heart of Midlothian" (Scotland), Stavanger's "Viking" (Norway), Glasgow's "Rangers" (Scotland), "Bristol City" (England), "Aberdeen" (Scotland), Panevėžys "Ekrantas" and Baku "Azal" (Azerbaijan).
The footballer represented the Lithuanian national team 26 times and scored 2 goals.
Andrius Velička will wear the jersey marked with the number 27 in the ranks of the Žalgiris team.
