Attacker Donis Avdijaj has come to the end of his brief time with Hearts – and he’s now looked back on his career, with one big regret hanging over him.
Avdijaj was once touted for big things at Schalke. Alongside the likes of Leroy Sane, Max Meyer and Julian Draxler, Avdijaj was backed for a huge future emerging through the Schalke ranks.
The attacker was given a huge contract with a €47million (£43million) release clause, with Schalke fighting to keep him in Gelsenkirchen – but it all went wrong for Avdijaj.
Avdijaj played just 12 first-team games for Schalke, scoring two goals, and ended up leaving for Willem II in 2018. Eight goals in 18 games for the Dutch side handed Avdijaj a move to Trabzonspor in 2019, but he was released in January of this year with just one goal to his name.
Hearts pounced in something of a coup, but he managed just three appearances as the Edinburgh club suffered relegation to the Scottish Premiership.
Now 23, the Kosovo international finds himself as a free agent. Having admitted that the huge release clause at Schalke was a burden on him, Avdijaj has opened up on his regret.
Avdijaj has told Sport1 that he had a ‘mega offer’ to join Liverpool before signing his long-term Schalke deal in 2014, but he chose to stay in Gelsenkirchen as Schalke were close to his heart – a decision he now believes was a mistake, as he missed out on a big move to Anfield.
“My biggest mistake, which I bitterly regret, was when I turned down a mega offer from Liverpool before I signed the long-term contract with Schalke, which were a club close to my heart. I also had an offer from Real Madrid,” he added.
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