Nicky Cleșcenco (born 23 July 2001) is a footballer who plays as a left winger for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock. Born in Ireland, he plays for the Moldova national team.[2]

Nicky Cleșcenco
Personal information
Full name Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco[1]
Date of birth (2001-07-23) 23 July 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Left winger
Team information
Current team
Kilmarnock
Number 20
Youth career
Dacia Buiucani
Sporting CP
–2019 União de Leiria
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 União de Leiria 6 (0)
2021–2025 Sion II 35 (8)
2023–2025Petrocub Hîncești (loan) 24 (8)
2025–2026 Zimbru Chișinău 20 (4)
2026– Kilmarnock 5 (1)
International career
2019–2020 Moldova U21 10 (0)
2021– Moldova 8 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 January 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2026

Club career

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Cleșcenco played for Dacia Buiucani in his youth, before moving to Portugal in 2014 to play for the academies of Sporting CP and União de Leiria. During the 2019–20 season, he made six senior appearances for União de Leiria in the Campeonato de Portugal. In February 2021, he joined the reserve team of Swiss club Sion, playing in the Promotion League.[1] On 17 February 2025 he signed for Zimbru Chișinău.[3]

On 30 January 2026, Cleșcenco signed for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock on an eighteen-month contract.[4]

International career

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Cleșcenco made his international debut for Moldova on 3 June 2021, coming on as a substitute in the 87th minute for Dan Spătaru in a friendly match against Turkey. The match in Paderborn finished as a 2–0 loss.[5]

Personal life

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Cleșcenco was born in Dublin, Ireland,[6] and is the son of former footballer and manager Serghei Cleșcenco.[1]

Career statistics

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International

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As of 9 June 2026[5]
Moldova
YearAppsGoals
202130
202210
202300
202430
2025 0 0
2026 1 0
Total80

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Ciolacu, Dumitru (2 February 2021). "Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco, noul jucător al lui FC Sion" [Nicky Serghei Cleșcenco, the new player of FC Sion]. Moldovan Football Federation (in Romanian). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  2. Nicky Cleșcenco at WorldFootball.net Edit this at Wikidata
  3. "Nicky Cleșcenco a semnat cu Zimbru Chișinău". fmf.md (in Romanian). Moldovan Football Federation. 17 February 2025.
  4. "Moldovan International winger Nicky Cleşcenco signs on permanent deal". kilmarnockfc.co.uk. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Nicky Cleșcenco". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. Nicky Cleșcenco at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata