Shamrock Rovers F.C. confirms the transfer of Academy graduate and first team midfielder Justin Ferizaj to Italian Serie A club, Frosinone Calcio
All at the club wish Justin well with his career development in Italy and at National team level.
Justin made his senior debut for Shamrock Rovers in June 2022, when he came off the bench at Richmond Park at the age of 17. The creative, attacking midfielder joined the club at the age of 14 and excelled through our Academy ranks. He has represented Ireland up to Under-19 level.
Justin earned his first Irish cap for the Ireland Under-15s in a 3-1 win away to England in December 2019 and he became part of the Rovers Under-15s squad for the 2020 season. He played against the Czech Republic that year alongside several of his Rovers clubmates, including Gideon Tetteh and Inter Milan winger Kevin Zefi, Justin’s cousin who is also of Albanian descent.
In October 2021, Justin’s fantastic free kick against Iceland at Turner’s Cross earned Ireland Under-17s the point they needed to top their European qualifying group. Progressing to the Rovers Under-19s side, he also won July’s National League Player of the Month award.
After his first senior appearance in Inchicore last year, he went on to make two of Stephen Bradley’s starting lineups in the league with a further three substitute appearances, becoming a match-day squad regular as the Hoops made it three league title in a row. He also made one FAI Cup appearance and featured in nine games during Rovers’ European run.
An impressive cameo against Hibernians in the Champions League in Tallaght eventually led to Justin starting three UEFA competition games – the Europa League home win over Ferencvaros and two Conference League group stage games, against Molde and Djurgarden.
This season, Justin made four sub appearances in the Premier Division, also scoring a goal in a Leinster Senior Cup tie in Bray. Having scored in the 2-0 win over Wales to help Ireland Under-19s qualify for the Elite Phase of the Qualifying Rounds of the UEFA Championship Finals the previous September, he made it six U19 caps for his country with three appearances against Slovakia, Estonia and Greece in March.
Justin had won a total of nine caps for Ireland Under-15s, another nine for the Under-17s and 11 for the Under-18s. His younger brother Richard is now with Rovers’ Under-14s.
Pic credit: Sportsfile