Gjoko Zajkov (Macedonian: Ѓоко Зајков; born 10 February 1995) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for UAE Pro League club Ajman and for the North Macedonia national team.
 Zajkov with Rennes in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 February 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Skopje, Macedonia | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ajman | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2012 | Rabotnički | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Rabotnički | 51 | (3) |
| 2014–2016 | Rennes | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Rennes B | 15 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Charleroi (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2016–2021 | Charleroi | 25 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Levski Sofia | 14 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Vorskla Poltava | 14 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Slavia Sofia (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2023–2025 | Universitatea Craiova | 59 | (1) |
| 2025– | Ajman | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2012 | Macedonia U17 | 8 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Macedonia U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Macedonia U19 | 10 | (1) |
| 2014 | Macedonia U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2017 | Macedonia U21 | 21 | (1) |
| 2016– | North Macedonia | 39 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:27, 29 September 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15:27, 29 September 2025 (UTC) | |||
Early career
editZajkov began his football career with FK Rabotnički.
Club career
editBorn in Skopje into a family originally from Udovo, Gjoko Zajkov was playing in Macedonia for the youth team of Rabotnichki, until the summer in 2012 when he made his first appearance for the senior team of the club, competing in the Macedonian First League. He was voted best defender that year, at the age of 17.
On 23 June 2014 he left Macedonia for the French club Stade Rennais F.C., with whom he signed a three-year contract.[1] After his first season in France, where he spent the majority of the time playing for the youth team of Rennais only, in the summer of 2015 he was loaned for one year to Charleroi in Belgium.
After being released from Charleroi, Zajkov signed a one-year deal with Levski Sofia in August 2021.[2] In March 2022 he joined Slavia Sofia until the end of the season.[3]
In January 2023 he signed for Universitatea Craiova.[4]
International career
editHe has been a member of Macedonian U-19 and U-21 national teams.
He made his senior debut for Macedonia in a June 2016 friendly match against Iran and has, as of May 2020, earned a total of 12 caps, scoring no goals.[5][6]
He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2020, their first major tournament.
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 17 May 2025 [7]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rabotnički | 2011–12 | 1. MFL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 1. MFL | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | 1. MFL | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| Total | 51 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 54 | 3 | |||
| Rennes | 2014–15 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Rennes B | 2014–15 | CFA2 | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Charleroi (loan) | 2015–16 | Belgian Pro League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Charleroi | 2016–17 | Belgian First Division A | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Belgian First Division A | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Belgian First Division A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Belgian First Division A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Belgian First Division A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| Levski Sofia | 2021–22 | First Professional Football League | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Slavia Sofia (loan) | 2021–22 | First Professional Football League | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| Vorskla Poltava | 2022–23 | Ukrainian Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |
| Universitatea Craiova | 2022–23 | Liga I | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Liga I | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Liga I | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | ||
| Total | 59 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 65 | 1 | ||
| Ajman | 2025–26 | UAE Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 191 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 213 | 6 | ||
- ↑ Includes Macedonian Cup, Belgian Cup, Bulgarian Cup, Cupa României
- ↑ Appearances in Coupe de la Ligue
- 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Conference League
- ↑ Appearance in Liga I play-offs for UEFA Europa Conference League
International
edit- As of match played 7 September 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Macedonia | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 1 | |
- As of match played 11 October 2020. North Macedonia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Zajkov goal.[8]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 2020 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 13 |  Estonia | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League |
Honours
editRabotnički
References
edit- ↑ "Stade Rennais Football Club - Site Officiel -". staderennais.com. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "Левски подписа с Гьоко Зайков". levski.bg. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ↑ "Славия обяви Гьоко Зайков" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ↑ "Bun venit, Gjoko Zajkov!". www.ucv1948.ro. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ↑ Mamrud, Roberto (16 July 2009). "Macedonia - Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ↑ "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ↑ Gjoko Zajkov at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ↑ Gjoko Zajkov at Soccerway
External links
edit- Gjoko Zajkov at Football Federation of Macedonia
- Gjoko Zajkov at MacedonianFootball.com
- Gjoko Zajkov at National-Football-Teams.com
- Gjoko Zajkov at UAF (in Ukrainian)
- Gjoko Zajkov at Soccerway
