 Škrtel playing forLiverpool in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Škrtel[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-12-15)15 December 1984 (age 41)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Handlová, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Centre-back[4] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hajskala Ráztočno | |||
| 1990–2001 | Baník Prievidza | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2004 | Trenčín | 45 | (0) |
| 2004–2008 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 74 | (3) |
| 2008–2016 | Liverpool | 242 | (16) |
| 2016–2019 | Fenerbahçe | 79 | (6) |
| 2019 | Atalanta | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 30 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | Spartak Trnava | 18 | (0) |
| 2022–2025 | Hajskala Ráztočno | 50 | (42) |
| Total | 489 | (28) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2019 | Slovakia | 104 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2025 | Spartak Trnava (interim) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Martin Škrtel (born 15 December 1984) is a Slovak former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back. He currently serves assporting director of Slovak clubFC Spartak Trnava.[5][6][7]
Škrtel played forFK AS Trenčín andZenit Saint Petersburg, before joiningLiverpool for £6.5 million in January 2008. After eight and a half years with Liverpool, where he played 320 competitive games and scored 18 goals, he joinedFenerbahçe. He has won theRussian Premier League and theLeague Cup, as well as being namedSlovak Footballer of the Year four times.
Škrtel made his international debut for Slovakia in 2004 and earned a total of 104caps, making him the third most-capped player of his country at the time of his retirement in 2019, behindMarek Hamšík andMiroslav Karhan. He also retired as Slovakia's 10th best international scorer with 6 goals. Škrtel represented the country as they reached the last 16 at both the2010 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2016.
Škrtel was born on 15 December 1984 inHandlová.[8]
Škrtel started his professional career at local sideFC Baník Prievidza and soon won a move toFK AS Trenčín, where he played 44 games and scored 8 goals between 2001 and 2004.[9]
Škrtel made his debut forZenit Saint Petersburg in aRussian Cup match on 31 July 2004. He said that the presence of Slovak and Czech players helped him to adjust to his new team.[10] He played 113 times[11] and scored 5 goals for the club, winning theRussian Premier League title in the2007 season.[12]
Valencia,Tottenham Hotspur,Everton andNewcastle United were all reported to be interested in his services,[13] but he ended up signing forLiverpool in the January 2008transfer window.[14][15][16][17][18]
Škrtel joined Liverpool on 11 January 2008 on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a transfer fee of £6.5 million.[19] On completion of the deal, Liverpool managerRafael Benítez said of Škrtel:
"He is aggressive, quick, is good in the air and I think he's a very good player for the future and also for the present. He is very competitive, but his mentality for me is very good".
He made his league debut againstAston Villa, wearing the number 37 for Liverpool. Benítez also compared Škrtel toJamie Carragher, his defensive teammate and the team's vice-captain at the time.[14][15]
Škrtel made a bright start to the2008–09 season, starting in all but onePremier League match and displacing out of favourDaniel Agger to the bench. He put in a number of strong performances with defensive partner Jamie Carragher against many top teams, notablyManchester United, Everton andMarseille in theUEFA Champions League. On 5 October 2008, Škrtel suffered a serious knee injury after falling awkwardly when challengingChed Evans late in a game againstManchester City, which Liverpool went on to win 3–2. It was later confirmed that he had torn the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee but did not require surgery and was "expected to be back before Christmas".[20]
On 28 December 2008, Škrtel returned from injury as a late substitute in Liverpool's 5–1 away win at Newcastle.[21] He was a regular starter for Liverpool during the second half of the season, as the team finished second in the Premier League with 86 points.[22]
On 21 November 2009, Škrtel scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–2 draw with Manchester City.[23] In February 2010, he broke ametatarsal in his right foot while playing in a 3–1UEFA Europa League victory overUnirea Urziceni.[24]On 18 August 2010, Škrtel signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool, committing his future to the club until 2014.[25]
During the2010–11 season, Škrtel played every minute of everyPremier League match.[26] On 28 November, in a match against Tottenham Hotspur atWhite Hart Lane, Škrtel scored both his second career goal for the club and his first Premier League own goal as Liverpool lost 2–1. On his 26th birthday, hecaptained Liverpool in theEuropa League againstUtrecht.[27]
In May 2011, Škrtel stated that he felt the 2010–11 season had been his best for the club to date.[28]
On 27 August 2011, Škrtel scored a headed goal for Liverpool againstBolton Wanderers in his first league appearance of the season from an unfamiliar right-back position.[29] On 18 September, he was sent off in a 4–0 away defeat against Tottenham.[30]
On 18 December, Škrtel scored Liverpool's second goal in a 2–0 league win league away to Aston Villa, scoring with a header after a corner fromCraig Bellamy.[31] At the midway point of the season, Liverpool had the best defensive record in the Premier League.[32] Liverpool left backJosé Enrique described Škrtel and Daniel Agger as "the best defensive partnership in the Premier League".[33]
Škrtel's header opened the scoring in the February 2012FA Cup fifth round tie againstBrighton & Hove Albion, with Liverpool going on to win 6–1.[34] On 26 February 2012, Škrtel scored againstCardiff City in the2012 Football League Cup Final. Liverpool won 3–2 on penalties after the match had ended in a 2–2 draw, giving Škrtel his first trophy as a Liverpool player, as he became the first Slovak to win the trophy.[35]
On 10 April 2012, Škrtel captained Liverpool for the first time in the league, leading his club to a 3–2 win overBlackburn Rovers and playing a major part in the first goal with a long pass to Craig Bellamy, who subsequently squared forMaxi Rodríguez to make the score 1–0. On 5 May, he started for Liverpool in the 2–12012 FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea.[36]
Škrtel was named theLiverpool Player of the Year in May 2012.[37]
On 20 August 2012, Škrtel announced that he would commit his future to Liverpool by signing a new contract.[38]
Škrtel's season got off to a bad start, giving away a penalty in a 3–0 loss to West Brom on 18 August 2012. A week later, he scored the club's first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City. Later in the match, his poorly executed backpass toPepe Reina was intercepted byCarlos Tevez to equalise for Manchester City.[39]
In January 2013, Škrtel was dropped from the Liverpool team after a poor performance in anFA Cup defeat toOldham Athletic.[40] After starting only four Premier League matches in the second half of the season,[41] Škrtel called2012–13 "one of the worst seasons in my career and certainly the worst during my time at Liverpool".[42]
In August 2013, it was reported that Liverpool had rejected a £10 million offer for Škrtel from Rafael Benítez'sNapoli.[43]
After missing the first two matches of the season, Škrtel helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet in 1–0 home win against Manchester United on 1 September.[44] On 9 November, he scored his first goal of the season in a 4–0 win againstFulham.[45] On 29 December, he gave Liverpool a third-minute lead against Chelsea in a 2–1 loss atStamford Bridge.[46]
On 8 February 2014, Škrtel scored twice in the first ten minutes againstArsenal, to help Liverpool to a 5–1 win.[47] On 22 March, he scored another brace in a 6–3 win over Cardiff City. On 13 April, he scored Liverpool's second goal in a crucial 3–2 win over Manchester City at Anfield to reach seven goals in the2013–14 Premier League season.[citation needed]
On 11 May, he scored a record fourth own-goal of the Premier League season in a 2–1 win against Newcastle United.[48] Despite those four own goals, Škrtel scored some decisive goals for Liverpool in some matches. Since his return against Manchester United in the third game of the season, he played every minute for Liverpool in the Premier League.[citation needed]
On 4 November 2014, Škrtel captained Liverpool in a Champions League match againstReal Madrid at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium as captainSteven Gerrard and his vice-captainJordan Henderson were both on the bench; Liverpool lost 0–1.[49] After a poor beginning to the season, manager Brendan Rodgers switched to a three-man defensive line in October, with Škrtel playing a crucial part. His pace, athleticism and ball-playing abilities were key in this formation.[50]
On 21 December, in a league game at Anfield against Arsenal, Škrtel received a head wound from an accidental collision withOlivier Giroud; the treatment added nine minutes onto the end of the match, in which Škrtel headed a 97th-minute equaliser for a vital 2–2 draw.[51] In aLeague Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea on 27 January 2015, Škrtel was stamped on by Chelsea forwardDiego Costa. RefereeMichael Oliver did not penalise the incident, but Costa was retrospectively banned for three matches byThe Football Association (FA).[52]
On 8 March 2015 in a sixth round FA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers, Škrtel was substituted and then taken to hospital after a collision withRudy Gestede.[53] Later that month, Škrtel was given a three-match ban for violent conduct by the FA for a stamp on Manchester United goalkeeperDavid de Gea. He unsuccessfully appealed, claiming it to be unintentional.[54]
On 10 July 2015, Škrtel signed a new contract with Liverpool.[55] On 23 September 2015, he played his 300th match for Liverpool in a League Cup penalty shootout win overCarlisle United.[56] Škrtel scored his first goal of the season on 21 November 2015, scoring the fourth goal in a 4–1 win away at Manchester City[57] with a thunderous volley from the edge of the box off of a corner. The goal came exactly six years after Škrtel had scored his first goal for Liverpool against the same opponents.[58] On 6 December 2015, Škrtel joined his former defence partner Jamie Carragher in second position on the All Time Premier League Own Goals list by scoring his seventh in a match against Newcastle.[59] On 20 December, Škrtel suffered a tear in his hamstring and tendon which kept him on the sideline for six weeks.[60]
On 14 July 2016, Škrtel signed for TurkishSüper Lig clubFenerbahçe for a reported fee of £5 million.[61][62] In his first season with Fenerbahçe, Škrtel played 31 games in theleague, scoring 2 goals.[citation needed]
On 9 August 2019, Škrtel joinedSerie A clubAtalanta.[63] His contract was terminated three weeks later by mutual consent. He was not able to adapt with new environment, conditions and training methods. In an interview a week later, Škrtel said that a player like him just did not fit the Atalanta system.[64] On 17 September 2019, Atalanta presidentAntonio Percassi stated in an interview that Škrtel's wife, Barbora, could be one of the reasons of his departure. Percassi said that she did not really want to move toBergamo.[65]
On 2 September 2019, he returned to Turkey signing withİstanbul Başakşehir.[66] He made his debut for the club the same month in a 1–1 draw againstSivasspor.[67] He made 20 appearances and scored three goals in the2019–20 Süper Lig winning campaign, which was the first top flight title in the club's history.[citation needed]
He reached an agreement to leave Başakşehir in January 2021 with less than six months remaining on his contract after suffering anAchilles tendon rupture in the previous month.[68]
In August 2021, Skrtel returned to Slovakia after 17 years to play forSpartak Trnava.[69]
On 26 February 2022, Škrtel appeared in his firstderby between Spartak andSlovan Bratislava. The match atTehelné pole concluded in a goal-less draw. Post-match Škrtel was insulted by one of the home fans and an amateur-side club official.[70]
Later, on 1 March 2022, Škrtel broke the club record at Trnava becoming club's oldest goalscorer beatingIgor Šemrinec ofKošice in aCup fixture atKošická futbalová aréna in a 1–2 victory for Spartak. He was the only scorer in club history aged over 37 – precisely 37 years, 2 months and 14 days, beating the previous record held byKarol Tibenský [cs].[71]
In August 2022, Škrtel left Spartak Trnava to fulfil his promise and finish his career at his childhood club FK Hajskala Ráztočno, playing a local league (eight tier) inPrievidza region.[72]
On 19 September 2024, Škrtel was named at the press conference as the new sporting director ofDAC 1904 Dunajská Streda.[73] However, he left the club after only 35 days in the office.[citation needed]
After resigning from his position at Dunajská, Škrtel became a sports director atFC Spartak Trnava on 10 March 2025.[74] On 18 November 2025, after the sacking ofMichal Ščasný, it was announced that Škrtel would become Spartak Trnava's interim manager, in addition to his position of sporting director.[5][6][7] In his first game as manager, Spartak won 2–1 away againstFC Košice, courtesy of late goals fromMartin Mikovič andErik Sabo.[75][76]
Having represented Slovakia at various youth levels,[9] Škrtel made his debut for thesenior squad againstJapan at the 2004Kirin Cup.[77] He was selected in Slovakia's squad for the2010 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2016, serving as captain in the latter.[citation needed]
On 13 October 2018, Škrtel earned his 100th cap in a home friendly match againstCzech Republic inTrnava, becoming the third most-capped Slovak footballer.[78]
On 22 February 2019, Škrtel announced his retirement from international football at the age of 34, along with another national team defenderTomáš Hubočan and forwardAdam Nemec.[79] The trio shared a farewell game on 13 October 2019 in afriendly match againstParaguay, which coincided with a national team return toTehelné pole after 10 years. Škrtel played in the starting XI as a captain and was replaced byDenis Vavro after 30 minutes.[80] The game finished as a 1–1 draw.[81]
Škrtel is known as a strong centre-back with significant aerial ability.Lucas Leiva has stated that he “is really strong and he gives the midfield confidence” owing to his quality.[82]Sami Hyypiä expressed his belief that Škrtel had quickly shown that he was “very athletic” and that he could “play the ball”.[83]
On 7 October 2011, Škrtel and his wife Barbora Škrtelová welcomed a son named Matteo.[84]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FK AS Trenčín | 2002–03[85] | Slovak Super Liga | 11 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2003–04[85] | Slovak Super Liga | 34 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 45 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 0 | ||||||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2004[86] | Russian Premier League | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2005[86] | Russian Premier League | 18 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 4[c] | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2006[86] | Russian Premier League | 26 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 37 | 3 | ||
| 2007[86] | Russian Premier League | 23 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total | 74 | 3 | 20 | 2 | — | 19 | 0 | 113 | 5 | |||
| Liverpool | 2007–08[87] | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[d] | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2008–09[88] | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2009–10[89] | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | 29 | 1 | |
| 2010–11[90] | Premier League | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[f] | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| 2011–12[91] | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 45 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13[92] | Premier League | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[f] | 0 | 33 | 2 | |
| 2013–14[93] | Premier League | 36 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 7 | ||
| 2014–15[94] | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7[g] | 0 | 48 | 1 | |
| 2015–16[95] | Premier League | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| Total | 242 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 44 | 0 | 320 | 18 | ||
| Fenerbahçe | 2016–17[96] | Süper Lig | 31 | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | 11[h] | 0 | 49 | 3 | |
| 2017–18[96] | Süper Lig | 21 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 4[f] | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19[96] | Süper Lig | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 9[i] | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| Total | 79 | 6 | 16 | 1 | — | 24 | 0 | 119 | 7 | |||
| Atalanta | 2019–20[96] | Serie A | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| İstanbul Başakşehir | 2019–20[96] | Süper Lig | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 8[f] | 1 | 29 | 4 | |
| 2020–21[96] | Süper Lig | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5[d] | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Total | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | 44 | 4 | |||
| Spartak Trnava | 2021–22[96] | Slovak Super Liga | 18 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 488 | 28 | 59 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 100 | 1 | 662 | 35 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovakia | 2004 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 104 | 6 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 September 2006 | Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia | 12 |  Cyprus | 1–0 | 6–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | [97] |
| 2 | 7 February 2007 | Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain | 16 |  Poland | 2–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | [98] |
| 3 | 24 March 2007 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | 17 | Cyprus | 2–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | [99] |
| 4 | 13 October 2007 | Mestský štadión, Dubnica, Slovakia | 20 |  San Marino | 4–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | [100] |
| 5 | 6 September 2008 | Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia | 27 |  Northern Ireland | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | [101] |
| 6 | 11 November 2016 | Anton Malatinský Stadium, Trnava, Slovakia | 88 |  Lithuania | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | [102] |
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Spartak Trnava | 18 November 2025 | 31 December 2025 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 080.00 |
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Zenit Saint Petersburg
Liverpool
İstanbul Başakşehir
Spartak Trnava
Individual
Начал заниматься футболом с 6 лет. Воспитанник ФК «Превизда». ... Выступал за юношескую и молодёжную сборные Словакии. ... Карьера игрока. 2001–2004 : ФК «Тренчин», Словакия (45 матчей).
Slovakia squads | |||||||
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