Ante Erceg (born 12 December 1989) is a Croatian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
for
Croatian Football League
The Hrvatska nogometna liga () ( en, Croatian football league), also known as HNL or for sponsorship reasons the SuperSport HNL, is the top Croatian professional football league competition, established in 1992. Previously, it was called Prva ...
RNK Split
Radnički nogometni klub Split, commonly known as RNK Split, is a Croatian football club based in the city of Split.
History
The club had a strong fanbase in the Split's shipyard. The club was founded on 16 April 1912 as Anarch, but has had se ...
, graduating to the senior squad in 2008. In his first senior season, he immediately played a notable role. Erceg quickly became a fan favourite, to such a degree that the fan group, the '' Crveni đavoli'' (Red Devils) awarded him the then newly established award for the most combative player, the '' Splitski dišpet''. Also, as a kind of fan recognition to Erceg for his commitment and fighting spirit, an interview with him was featured in the second issue of the Red Devils fan newspaper. He mainly played as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
while at RNK Split. In the second half of the 2009–10 season, Erceg was briefly sent on loan to Junak Sinj, where he made seven appearances. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, he returned to Stadion Park Mladeži to continue playing for HNK Split.
Hajduk Split
He spent half a season at Turkish club
Balıkesirspor
Balıkesirspor is a Turkish club based in Balıkesir. Established in 1966, the football team played in the Süper Lig after achieving promotion having finished as runners-up of the TFF First League in 2013–14. The team's previous promotion was ...
, before returning to Croatia to sign for HNK Split's
rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
,
Hajduk Split
Hrvatski nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split () or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian professional football club based in Split, that competes in the Croatian First League, the top tier in Croatian football. Since 1979, t ...
on 18 June 2016. Erceg made his Hajduk debut on 17 July, playing 45 minutes in a 2–0 win over
HNK Cibalia
Hrvatski nogometni klub Cibalia, commonly known as Cibalia Vinkovci or simply Cibalia, is a Croatian football club from the town of Vinkovci in eastern Croatia. Cibalia currently play in the Prva NL, Croatia's second tier league. Their stadium ...
in the first day of the Prva HNL. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win over
FC Oleksandriya
Football Club Oleksandriya ( uk, Футбольний клуб Олександрія), commonly known as Oleksandriya, is a Ukrainian professional football club based in the city of Oleksandriya, Kirovohrad Oblast. Founded in 1948, the club pla ...
in the third qualifying round of the 2016–17 Europa League. The goal was Hajduk's 300th goal in European competition.
Shabab Al-Ahli
On 8 January 2018, Erceg signed with Dubai club Shabab Al-Ahli, competing in the
UAE Pro-League
The UAE Pro League ( ar, دوري المحترفين الإماراتي), known for sponsorship reasons as the ADNOC Pro League, is the top professional football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The first team to win the title was Al ...
.
Brøndby
After a half-year spell Shabab Al-Ahli, Erceg signed a four-year contract with
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga ( da, Superligaen, ) is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each ye ...
club Brøndby IF on 6 June 2018, where he was seen to be the replacement of
Teemu Pukki
Teemu Eino Antero Pukki (born 29 March 1990) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Norwich City and the Finland national team.
Pukki began his career with KTP and made his debut on senior leve ...
who had signed with
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
. On 16 July 2018, he scored his first goal for Brøndby in a 2–0 win over
Randers
Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 62,802 (as of 1 January 2022).
Esbjerg fB (loan)
On 22 January 2020, Erceg was loaned out to
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber (; commonly known as Esbjerg fB or EfB in short) is a Danish professional football club based in Esbjerg, West Jutland, that plays in the 2nd division, the third-tier of the Danish football league system. Found ...
for the rest of the season. Following his loan, he stated that he was happy with the move and that Esbjerg was "a big club". He made his debut on 14 February, starting in a 1–0 win over
F.C. Copenhagen
Football Club Copenhagen ( da, Football Club København, ), commonly known as FC København, FC Copenhagen, Copenhagen or simply FCK, is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. FCK was founded in 1992 as a superstructure on ...
. After making seven appearances and scoring no goals, he returned to Brøndby, as Esbjerg suffered relegation from the Superliga.
NK Osijek
Nogometni klub Osijek ( en, Osijek Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Osijek or simply Osijek (), is a Croatian professional football club from Osijek. Founded in 1947, it was the club from Slavonia with the most seasons in the Yugoslav ...
on 19 August 2020, on a season-long loan with an option to buy. The following April, the Croatian club announced they will not be buying Erceg, but that they are looking into options of retaining his services for the future. In May 2021, Erceg ruptured his right knee ligaments during training, requiring knee reconstruction surgery. On 20 May, it was announced that his loan deal with Osijek had been extended by another season.
Debrecen
On 25 May 2022, Erceg signed a one-year contract with Hungarian
Nemzeti Bajnokság I
The Nemzeti Bajnokság (, "National Championship"), also known as NB I, is the top level of the Hungarian football league system. The league is officially named OTP Bank Liga after its title sponsor OTP Bank. UEFA currently ranks the league 28th ...
club Debreceni VSC, with an option for one further year. His contract was terminated by mutual consent after two months at the club, on 21 July. He had not made his debut for the club at that point.
Istra 1961
Erceg joined
Croatian Football League
The Hrvatska nogometna liga () ( en, Croatian football league), also known as HNL or for sponsorship reasons the SuperSport HNL, is the top Croatian professional football league competition, established in 1992. Previously, it was called Prva ...
club Istra 1961 on 1 August 2022, signing a one-year deal. He made his debut for the club on 6 August against his former club Osijek, replacing Advan Kadušić in the 66th minute in a late 1–0 win. On 26 August, Erceg scored his first goals for Istra, a
brace
Brace(s) or bracing may refer to:
Medical
* Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement
** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine
*** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal cur ...
, after coming on as a 66th-minute substitute for Monsef Bakrar to secure a late 2–0 away victory against Gorica at
Stadion Radnik
Gradski Stadion Velika Gorica (), also known as Gradski stadion Velika Gorica or Stadion ŠRC Velika Gorica, is an association football stadium in Velika Gorica, Croatia. It is the home stadium for the HNK Gorica football club. The stadium has a ...
. He would also score in three consecutive games in September 2022, against Lokomotiva, Slaven and his former side
Hajduk
A hajduk ( hu, hajdúk, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries. They have reputations ranging from bandits to freedom fighters depending on time, p ...
to bring his league goal tally to five in six appearances.