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Personal
Fullname: Lukasz Zaluska
aka: –
Born: 16 June 1982
Birthplace: Wysokie Mazowieckie, Poland
Signed: 23 December 2009 (pre-contract agreement from Dundee Utd)
Left: 17 June 2015 (free)
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Falkirk 0 – 4 Celtic, League Cup, 23rd September 2009
Squad No.: 24
Internationals: Poland
International Caps: 1
International Goals: 0
Biog
Polish international keeper Lukasz Zaluska joined Celtic in June 2009 from Dundee United after signing a pre-contract agreement with the Hoops the previous December.
The keeper had enjoyed a fairly low-key start to his football career in his native country. He started out at Stomil Olsztyn and then went on to spend brief spells with Legia Warsaw (where he first met future Celtic and Poland team-mate Artur Boruc), Jagiellonia Biaystok and Korona Kielce.
He moved to Dundee United in May 2007 but after breaking his foot in a pre-season game he had to wait until January 2008 before making his competitive debut. He quickly impressed with a string of solid performances and for the first time in his career Zaluska had established himself as a first-team regular. His good form continued and in August 2008 he was selected for the Poland national squad.
In December that year the keeper made it clear he would not be extending his stay at Tannadice and on December 23rd it was announced he had signed an agreement with Celtic which would see him move to Glasgow on June 1st 2009. He signed for Celtic in the full knowledge that he was coming not as a certain first team starter but as a back-up. Maybe he thought he could make the first team no.1 position his own, cynics would argue the change was pecuniary. At least at Celtic he’d have some opportunities not afforded to him at Dundee Utd.
He earned his first Poland cap in a friendly with South Africa on June 6th and his Celtic debut would follow the following month when he appeared as a substitute in the 3-0 friendly win against Brisbane Roar in Australia on July 12th. Unlikely to dislodge an on-form Boruc from the first-team, Zaluska’s arrival at Parkhead was nevertheless very welcome by a support eager to see quality back-up for the sometimes erratic Holy Goalie.
Zaluska was not the best keeper. Generally competent and a fair enough shot stopper, he doesn’t excel in any area but manages to do more than enough competently. A fair keeper.
Throughout the nightmare 2009-10 season Lukasz would be a regular deputy for Boruc and produced some steady if unspectacular performances. Although with the defence in front of him which was demoralised and repeatedly shifting, it wasn’t going to be easy for him. New manager Mowbray just didn’t know how to handle the squad and as a new entrant to the side it was a poor environment to settle into.
With the departure of Boruc to Italy in the summer of 2010 Lukasz began the new 2010/11 campaign as Celtic’s first-choice keeper. However, new Parkhead boss Neil Lennon seemed unconvinced by the Pole who had not overly impressed in the No.1 jersey. Didn’t help that he was in goals for the disastrous 4-0 defeat to St Mirren under Mowbray (although the result was by no means his fault alone but the team as a whole).
Subsequently Lennon brought highly-rated Newcastle United youngster Fraser Forster to Glasgow on a loan deal. The English keeper was quickly installed as first choice stopper and Lukasz found himself back on the bench.
At the start of 2011 Celtic extended Forster’s loan until the end of the season, and for much of the remainder of the campaign Lukasz had to satisfy himself with a place on the bench. He did appear in the Scottish Cup double header against Rangers, after Forster was sent off in the first-half of the Ibrox tie. Although he produced two solid showings on these crucial occasions it was evident that if he was to remain at Parkhead it was only to be as a back-up, especially in light of the growing form & reputation of Fraser Forster who ultimately transferred over to Celtic on a permanent basis after successful transfer seasons.
Zaluska was thus to be a regular bench warmer but took it without any complaint. He won his place in matches ad hoc when Forster (or later Craig Gordan) was injured, and he performed competently but no major notes.
His last major moment was in a controversial Scottish Cup semi-final 2014-15 v Inverness CT. Coming on after Craig Gordon was sent-off after a last minute challenge. With ten against eleven, Celtic were at a disadvantage, and despite making a fight for it, were unlucky to lose 3-2 and fail again in another opportunity to win a domestic treble. For Zaluska, poor luck as success would have meant a starting place in the first team for the final, but not to be. Maybe this in summary has parallels to his time at Celtic.
His last match was in a 0-0 draw with St Johnstone away in the league. The performance was lethargic, but as Zaluska likely knew it was his last game, he gave a sterling performance and was for many the best Celtic player on the pitch. So ended on a good note with a clean sheet and some fine saves.
In Oct 2014, he was approached and attacked by fellow footballers (from Dundee Utd) on a night out in Glasgow, in what became a violent confrontation leaving Zaluska with black eyes and left unconscious. Thankfully he recovered fast, but totally unacceptable what happened to him. It involved ex-Celt Mark Wilson, but he was not one of the attackers.
At the end of the 2014-15 season, the Ronny Deila plans were underway and this meant squad changes. In light of this, Zaluska was freed by mutual agreement, and he left Celtic with the good wishes of all. He was an able back up and played when needed, for that we very much respect him.
Post-Celtic
He moved on for a spell in the Bundesliga (Germany) and then for some teams in Poland before hanging up his playing boots.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2009-2010 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 |
| Clean Sheets | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2010-2011 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Clean Sheets | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 2011-2012 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Clean Sheets | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2013-14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Clean Sheets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014-15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Clean Sheets | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total Appearances | 24 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 42 |
| Total Clean Sheets | 12 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20 (47.6%) |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
Scottish League Cup
Scottish Cup
| KDS Honours | ||
| MOTM Winners 2009-10 | ||
| 05-Nov-09 | Hamburg 0-0 Celtic | Europa League |
| 10-Apr-10 |
Celtic 0-2 Ross County |
SC SF |
| 13-Apr-10 |
Celtic 2-1 Motherwell |
SPL |
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Dundee United’s Paul Paton admits punching Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska
BBC
27 October 2015
Dundee United’s Paul PatonImage source, BBC Sport
Image caption, Dundee United’s Paul Paton pleaded guilty to assault
Dundee United midfielder Paul Paton has been fined £500 after pleading guilty to hitting a former Celtic goalkeeper after a night out in Glasgow last year.
Paton, 28, changed his plea on the first day of evidence and admitted punching Lukasz Zaluska on the head in Byres Road on 20 October 2014.
In his defence Mr Paton’s lawyer said he was provoked by abuse and there was no injury to the victim.
A charge that accused him of a further assault on the goalkeeper was dropped.
Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz ZaluskaImage source, SNS (Scotland)
Image caption, Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska signed for Celtic from Dundee United in 2009.
Mr Paton was previously fined four weeks wages by his club.
The player said he regretted what had happened.
The sheriff said the charge to which Paton pleaded guilty was significantly less serious than the original indictment.
During evidence at Glasgow Sheriff Court, ex-Celtic and Dundee United player Mark Wilson said his former team-mate Mr Zaluska had thought Paton was a Rangers fan.
Mr Wilson told the court Mr Zaluska said he hated all Rangers fans and wanted to kill them.
After Mr Zaluska left Ashton Lane with Mr Wilson and went on to Byres Road, Paton punched the former Celtic goalkeeper on the head, causing him to slide down the side of a taxi.
Paton then walked away from the incident and a short time later Zaluska was found unconscious and bleeding on the ground in Ashton Lane.
Paton, from Paisley had been accused of repeatedly hitting Mr Zaluska and causing injury but the Crown amended the charge.
He admitted punching Mr Zaluska on the head.
Sheriff Andrew Normand fined him £500 and told Paton: “It is clear this is an incident which you regret”.
Defence lawyer Billy Lavelle said: “Mr Paton faced substantial provocation from the other gentleman.”
He said that it did not justify his client’s actions but “perhaps gives a background” and that on that day he “felt he couldn’t take any more of the abuse”.
The solicitor advocate said: “He has never denied that, the question was whether there was a second incident, which he did not accept.”