Eric Kitolano
Eric Bugale Kitolano (born 2 September 1997) is a Norwegian football midfielder who plays for Lillestrøm.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric Bugale Kitolano | ||
| Date of birth | 2 September 1997 | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lillestrøm | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2013 | Gulset | ||
| 2014–2016 | Odd | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013 | Gulset | 12 | (3) |
| 2016 | Odd | 0 | (0) |
| 2017 | Notodden | 21 | (4) |
| 2018–2019 | Ull/Kisa | 60 | (6) |
| 2020–2022 | Tromsø | 85 | (28) |
| 2023–2024 | Molde | 23 | (4) |
| 2024- | Lillestrøm | 8 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015 | Norway U18 | 10 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:33, 19 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 May 2021 | |||
Career
Kitolano started his career in Gulset IF, playing on the senior team on the sixth tier before joining the junior team of Odd in 2014. He made his senior debut for Odd in the 2016 Norwegian Football Cup, with two cup games against Tollnes and FK Tønsberg. However he was shipped out to Notodden FK, and Ull/Kisa in 2018.
In 2020 Kitolano joined Tromsø IL, helped win promotion from the 2020 1. divisjon by scoring double digits, and made his Eliteserien debut in May 2021 against Bodø/Glimt.[1][2][3]
On 6 January 2023, Kitolano signed for Molde on a three-year contract.[4]
After only one season at Molde, in February 2024, Kitolano moved to Lillestrøm on a three-year contract.[5]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gulset | 2013 | 5. divisjon | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 3 | |
| Total | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 3 | |||
| Odd | 2016 | Tippeligaen | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Notodden | 2017 | 2. divisjon | 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 4 | |
| Total | 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 4 | |||
| Ullensaker/Kisa | 2018 | 1. divisjon | 30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 33 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 32 | 5 | |||
| Total | 60 | 6 | 5 | 2 | — | 65 | 8 | |||
| Tromsø | 2020 | 1. divisjon | 28 | 11 | — | — | 28 | 11 | ||
| 2021 | Eliteserien | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 4 | ||
| 2022 | 29 | 13 | 3 | 3 | — | 32 | 16 | |||
| Total | 85 | 28 | 5 | 3 | — | 90 | 31 | |||
| Molde | 2023 | Eliteserien | 23 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 9[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 38 | 6 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 23 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 40 | 6 | ||
| Lillestrøm | 2024 | Eliteserien | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 11 | 3 | |
| Career total | 209 | 47 | 25 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 244 | 55 | ||
- Four appearances in UEFA Champions League and five appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearance in UEFA Europa Conference League
Personal life
He is the older brother of fellow footballers John and Joshua Kitolano.
Honours
References
- Eric Kitolano at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
- "Klar for sitt endelege gjennombrot" (in Norwegian). Sogndal Fotball. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- "Totland har signert" (in Norwegian). Tromsø IL. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- "ERIC KITOLANO KLAR FOR MOLDE!". moldefk.no/ (in Norwegian). Molde FK. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- "Eric Kitolano klar for LSK: - Gleder meg veldig til å spille foran fansen" (in Norwegian). Lillestrøm Sk. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- Eric Kitolano at Soccerway