Old magic still working for Zelinski

Having left the international football scene in dramatic style at 32, Estonia forward Indrek Zelinski is still on top of his game with FC Levadia Tallinn.

Dramatic exit
Zelinski certainly bowed out with a bang. Recalled to the Estonia squad by new coach Viggo Jensen two and a half years after first retiring from the national team, Zelinski scored the added-time winner in his side's opening UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying victory against Andorra on 22 August. Whipping his shirt off to celebrate, he was promptly dismissed for a second bookable offence.

'Pure emotion'
"It was pure emotion," he told uefa.com. "I knew immediately that we would not lose the lead and wanted to fire our supporters up even more. I knew I wouldn't play for Estonia again so the feeling was very, very special. It was an excellent way to bow out. When I first quit almost three years ago, I was not in the best of shape but I knew I could help the team, at least in this one match."

Goalscoring exploits
The striker scored the first of his 27 international goals in a 6-1 win against Andorra back on 13 November 1996 - his 22nd birthday - and claimed a hat-trick in a friendly against Indonesia in Italy three days later. However, his 102-match international career had plenty of other highlights, with one in particular standing out.

Memorable strike
"No doubt the most memorable goal I scored was the one against the Netherlands in our opening match at the A. Le Coq Arena, which gave us a 2-1 lead in the 76th minute," remembered Zelinski, looking back to the FIFA World Cup qualifier on 2 June 2001. Estonia went on to lose 4-2, but the year ended well for Zelinski as he was named Estonia's Player of the Year.

Club career
Zelinski began his career with Pärnu JK before joining FC Flora as an 18-year-old. He won three titles and scored 62 goals there before leaving for FC Lahti in Finland. He then linked up with Estonia team-mate Andres Oper at Aalborg BK in Denmark, scoring 13 goals in a successful 2001/02 season. Loan spells at Landskrona BoIS and BK Frem followed before he moved back to Estonia in 2005.

Still firing
His goalscoring touch had not deserted him. He scored 18 goals in his first season back in the Meistriliiga and 21 more last year. His contract with Levadia has been extended on a yearly basis and Zelinski said: "The deal runs out in January and I will decide by the end of the season what to do next, depending how I feel." With 18 goals already in 2007, he surely has some good years left in him yet.