Edgaras Jankauskas


Edgaras Jankauskas is a Lithuanian former professional footballer, and is a manager.
A powerful striker who excelled in the physical side of the game, he was also relatively skilled. Other than in his own he played professionally in nine countries, and represented the Lithuania national team for almost 20 years.
Whilst with Porto, Jankauskas made history as the first Lithuanian footballer to win the Champions League, in 2004. Ten years later, he began working as a full-time manager.

Club career

Early years / Brugge

Born in Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union, Jankauskas moved to local FK Žalgiris' youth ranks at 16, from neighbouring FK Panerys. In 1996 he joined PFC CSKA Moscow, and later spent a further year in the Russian capital with FC Torpedo.
Jankauskas signed with Club Brugge KV in 1997, and helped the club win the Belgian Pro League in his first season. However, in January 2000, he became the most expensive Lithuanian player of all time when Real Sociedad paid €2.4 million for his services.

Portugal

After another year and a half in San Sebastián, Jankauskas was loaned to S.L. Benfica for the 2001–02 season, and the following year was signed by FC Porto, under manager José Mourinho. Although not always a regular starter, he made an important contribution to a side which conquered all in Portugal, winning the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal double in 2002–03 and the national championship in the following campaign.
Jankauskas also helped Porto to an unprecedented run of European success and, while he missed selection for the 2003 UEFA Cup final-winning squad, he was a substitute when the Dragons won the UEFA Champions League against AS Monaco FC in the following year.

Hearts / Late career

After the departure of Mourinho, Jankauskas fell out of favor in Porto and joined OGC Nice on loan, but he failed to settle in France and eventually signed for Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian – via FBK Kaunas – in 2005. In a complex deal, he was loaned to Hearts at the behest of Vladimir Romanov, who controlled both clubs, and spent the next two seasons in Edinburgh.
In 2005–06, Jankauskas' experience and goals helped Hearts to win the Scottish Cup and achieve Champions league qualification by finishing second in the league. The following campaign was less successful for him, as injuries and indifferent form limited his appearances; after his Kaunas and Hearts contracts expired in June 2007, he signed with Cyprus's AEK Larnaca FC.
On 30 January 2008, Jankauskas joined Portuguese League team C.F. Os Belenenses. He terminated his contract after only a few months, moving to Latvia's Skonto FC in the summer after claiming he wanted to play closer to his homeland.
At the start of 2009, Jankauskas was working on obtaining his coaching badges, and pondering his retirement. In June, however, it was revealed that he would be heading to the United States for a trial with Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. On 28 June 2009, pending the arrival of his P1 Visa and ITC documents, a deal was arranged for the 34-year-old; his week 26 goal against the Kansas City Wizards was nominated for the MLS Goal of the Year Award.
On 30 September 2010, Jankauskas was released by the Revolution. He moved to FC Fakel Voronezh in the Russian second level shortly after, retiring after only a couple of months.
In July 2012, Jankauskas returned to Hearts as an assistant manager, leaving his post at the end of the season.

International career

Jankauskas was an important part of the Lithuanian national side since 1991 when, at the age of just 16, he helped the country to the 1991 Baltic Cup, playing the last 30 minutes of the 4–1 final win against Estonia. He scored his first international goal on 5 October 1996, in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iceland, and went on to net a further nine in 56 appearances, in eighteen years of play.
On 12 January 2016, after a brief spell at club level with FK Trakai, Jankauskas replaced Igoris Pankratjevas at the helm of Lithuania. On 4 December 2018, he was dismissed.

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
15 October 1996Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania1–02–01998 World Cup qualification
29 October 1996Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania1–02–11998 World Cup qualification
330 April 1997Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein1–02–01998 World Cup qualification
43 June 2000S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania1–11–2Friendly
515 August 2001S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania1–12–3Friendly
64 September 2004Pays de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium1–11–12006 World Cup qualification
78 September 2004S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania1–04–02006 World Cup qualification
88 September 2004S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania2–04–02006 World Cup qualification
96 February 2007La Courneuve, Paris, France1–11–3Friendly
1012 September 2007S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania1–02–1Euro 2008 qualifying

Honours

Club

Žalgiris
Club Brugge
Porto
Hearts
Lithuania