_31.jpg) Bajcetic warming up forRed Bull Salzburg in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira | ||
| Date of birth | (2004-10-22)22 October 2004 (age 21) | ||
| Place of birth | Vigo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Liverpool | ||
| Number | 43 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2020 | Celta Vigo | ||
| 2020–2022 | Liverpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Liverpool | 12 | (1) |
| 2024–2025 | →Red Bull Salzburg (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2025 | →Las Palmas (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2023– | Spain U21 | 5 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:55, 13 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:57, 25 March 2025 (UTC) | |||
Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira (Serbian:Стефан Бајчетић,Stefan Bajčetić; born 22 October 2004) is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as adefensive midfielder orcentre-back forPremier League clubLiverpool.
Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira[2] was born on 22 October 2004[3] inVigo, Galicia.[4] He is the son ofSerbian former footballerSrđan Bajčetić and aGalician mother.[5][6]
Bajcetic was a member of theCelta Vigo youth academy, and signed forPremier League clubLiverpool in December 2020 for £224,000.[7][8][9][10]
Bajcetic's progress was rewarded with a new contract in August 2022.[11] He made his professional debut on 27 August, coming on as asubstitute in a9–0 home win overBournemouth.[12] Bajcetic made hisUEFA Champions League debut againstAjax on 13 September as a 94th-minute substitution, replacingThiago.[13] In doing so, he became Liverpool's youngest-ever player in the Champions League, beating the record previously held byBilly Koumetio.[14]
On 9 November 2022, Bajcetic started his first game for Liverpool, in a home win againstDerby County in the third round of the2022–23 EFL Cup.[15] On 26 December, as a 79th-minute substitute, Bajcetic scored his first senior goal for Liverpool in their 3–1 away victory againstAston Villa in the2022–23 Premier League.[16] Aged 18 years, 2 months and 4 days, he became the third youngest player to score for Liverpool in the Premier League, behindMichael Owen andRaheem Sterling, and the second youngest Spanish player to score in the Premier League, behindCesc Fàbregas.[17]
In January 2023, Bajcetic's signed a new long-term contract at Anfield.[18] On the field, he continued to progress, starting three consecutive Premier League games againstChelsea,Wolverhampton Wanderers, andlocal rivalsEverton. On 16 February, he was voted January's Player of the Month by fans.[19] On 21 February, he became the youngest Liverpool player, aged 18 years and 122 days, to start in a Champions League knockout match, which ended in a 5–2 home defeat againstReal Madrid.[20]
On 16 March 2023, he announced he would miss the rest of the2022–23 season with anadductor injury.[21] He returned to training on 6 August 2023.[22]
On 30 August 2024, Bajcetic joinedAustrian Bundesliga sideRed Bull Salzburg on a season-long loan.[23] After making 19 total appearances, Bajcetic was recalled from Salzburg on 31 January 2025 and sent on a new loan toLas Palmas inLa Liga.[24] On 16 February, he scored his first goal for Las Palmas in a 3–1 loss toMallorca.[25]
Bajcetic is eligible to represent Spain and Serbia at international level.[26][27] In 2021, he was called up to theSpain U18 team for theLafarge Foot Avenir tournament by managerPablo Amo, appearing in all 3 matches as Spain won the tournament.[28] His time with the youth squad was halted by injury in 2023, amidst an impendingU21 call up and rumours of a call from thesenior team.[29][30]
Bajcetic made his debut for theSpain U21s on 8 September 2023, coming on as a substitute in a 6–0 win overMalta.[31]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool U21 | 2021–22[32] | — | — | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23[32] | — | — | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Liverpool | 2022–23[33] | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 2023–24[34] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| Red Bull Salzburg (loan) | 2024–25 | Austrian Bundesliga | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Las Palmas (loan) | 2024–25 | LaLiga | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 38 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 58 | 2 | ||
