Oliver James Kelaart Torres (Sinhala: ඔලිවර් කෙලාර්ට්; born 16 April 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-winger for 2. deild karla club Haukar. Born in Australia, he represents Sri Lanka at international level.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Oliver James Kelaart Torres[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 April 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Right-winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Haukar | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Orihuela U19 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Orihuela | ||
| 2019–2020 | Calamonte | 11 | (2) |
| 2020 | Kormákur/Hvöt | 5 | (1) |
| 2021 | Keflavík | 9 | (1) |
| 2022 | Þróttur Vogum | 6 | (0) |
| 2023 | Njarðvík | 14 | (5) |
| 2024– | Haukar | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Sri Lanka | 6 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 July 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2024 | |||
International career
editBorn in Melbourne, Kelaart is eligible to represent Sri Lanka as his father was born in Colombo.[2]
He was first approached by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka to represent the nation in 2020, under the recommendation of the coach at the time, Amir Alagic. However, due to the federation's FIFA ban in 2023, Kelaart's opportunity to play international football was further delayed.[3]
On 22 March 2024, Kelaart made his debut for the Sri Lanka national team against Papua New Guinea during the 2024 FIFA Series. In the following game, three days later, Kelaart scored his first international goal in a 2–0 victory over Bhutan.[4]
Personal life
editKelaart was born in Melbourne, Australia to a Sri Lankan Burgher father and Spanish mother.
Career statistics
editInternational
edit- As of 25 March 2024.[5]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 2024 | 6 | 2 |
| Total | 6 | 2 | |
International goals
edit- Scores and results list Sri Lanka's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25 March 2024 | Colombo Racecourse, Colombo, Sri Lanka |  Bhutan |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2024 FIFA Series |
| 2. | 10 September 2024 | Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia |  Cambodia |
1–0 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) 4–2 (p) |
2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
References
edit- ^ a b "Oliver Kelaart". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Wyper, Cameron (29 June 2022). "Oliver Kelaart on his hopes of representing Sri Lanka and his move to Iceland's second tier". kick360.co. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Wyper, Cam (30 March 2024). "Melburnian forward Oliver Kelaart realises his dream representing Sri Lanka". Front Page Football. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka football savour its finest moment". dailynews.lk. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Oliver Kelaart". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
External links
edit- Oliver Kelaart at National-Football-Teams.com
- Oliver Kelaart at Soccerway
- Oliver Kelaart at the Football Association of Iceland (in Icelandic)