# István Kozma (footballer)

István Kozma (born 3 December 1964) is a former Hungarian footballer who played as a midfielder. He was the first Hungarian player to ever play in the Premier League on 26 September 1992, when he appeared for Liverpool as a substitute against Wimbledon, playing 7 minutes.

## Career
### Club

He began his career at Salgótarjáni TC in his native country of Hungary. Kozma then moved to Újpest FC and then to French Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux. In December 1989 he was signed by Jim Leishman for Scottish team Dunfermline Athletic for £550,000 which is still the club's record transfer fee.
At Dunfermline Kozma became a firm fan favourite playing 103 times and scoring nine goals. In February 1992 he was a shock purchase for Liverpool, with Graeme Souness signing the Hungarian for £300,000. Kozma made his debut in a goalless draw against Ipswich Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup, but never looked like breaking into the first team at Liverpool. In the 1991–92 season he made five league appearances and two in the FA Cup. In the 1992–93 season he played in the 1992 FA Charity Shield and then made one league appearance as a substitute and one further substitute appearance in the League Cup, before being released in July 1993. His poor performance at Liverpool earned him in 2007 the dubious success of being rated by Times Online as the fourth worst ever player to play in the Premiership.
He then returned to Újpest FC. In 1995–96 he played for APOEL in Cyprus where, after amazing performances, he led his team to the Double. The next season, he helped APOEL to win the Super Cup and the Cup again, before moving back to Újpest for a third time, with whom he won the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in 1998. He subsequently appeared for Videoton FC and FC Tatabánya, before finishing his professional career with a fourth spell at Újpest. He subsequently signed for Austrian amateur side Ostbahn XI Wein and Hungarian lower-division teams Budafoki MTE and Rákosmenti KSK.

### International

Kozma made his international debut for Hungary on 9 September 1986, coming on as a substitute in a 0-0 friendly draw with Norway. He went on to play 40 times for the national team until 1995, scoring once, in a 4-1 friendly win over Turkey on 5 September 1990.
Kozma also appeared for the Scottish Football League XI in a 1990 fixture against Scotland, to mark the centenary of the Scottish Football League. The match finished 1-0 to the League XI.

## Coaching career

From season 2006–07, he was working as an assistant manager at Vasas SC.
In May 2013, Kozma returned to Újpest as manager. After just five months, Kozma left his position at the club in October 2013, being sacked altogether after initially being transferred to the role of video analyst instead.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Újpesti Dózsa | 1983–84 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 19 | 0 | | | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 |
| Újpesti Dózsa | 1984–85 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 23 | 1 | | | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 |
| Újpesti Dózsa | 1985–86 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 27 | 0 | | | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 |
| Újpesti Dózsa | 1986–87 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 29 | 2 | | | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 |
| Újpesti Dózsa | 1987–88 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 28 | 2 | | | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 |
| Újpesti Dózsa | 1988–89 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 30 | 5 | | | — | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 5 |
| Újpesti Dózsa | Total | Total | 156 | 10 | | | — | — | 8 | 0 | — | — | 164 | 10 |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 1989–90 | Scottish Premier Division | 33 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 6 |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 1990–91 | Scottish Premier Division | 34 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 2 |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 1991–92 | Scottish Premier Division | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 1 |
| Dunfermline Athletic | Total | Total | 90 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 103 | 9 |
| Liverpool | 1991–92 | Football League First Division | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Liverpool | 1992–94 | Football League First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Liverpool | Total | Total | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Újpest FC | 1993–94 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 29 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 8 |
| Újpest FC | 1994–95 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 29 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 7 |
| Újpest FC | Total | Total | 58 | 15 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 158 | 15 |
| APOEL F.C. | 1995–96 | Cypriot First Division | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2 |
| APOEL F.C. | 1996–97 | Cypriot First Division | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 4 |
| APOEL F.C. | Total | Total | 40 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 1 | — | — | 50 | 6 |
| Újpest FC | 1997–98 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 |
| Újpest FC | 1998–99 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Újpest FC | Total | Total | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 |
| Videoton FC | 1998–99 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 |
| FC Tatabánya | 1999–2000 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Újpest FC | 1999–2000 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Újpest FC | 2000–01 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 |
| Újpest FC | Total | Total | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 3 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 428 | 42 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 463 | 44 |
* ↑ Includes FA Cup
* ↑ Includes Football League Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Cup
* ↑ One appearance in the FA Charity Shield

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Hungary | 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1987 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1988 | 10 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1989 | 8 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1990 | 5 | 1 |
| Hungary | 1991 | 5 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1992 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1993 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1994 | 5 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1995 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 40 | 1 |
    Hungary score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kozma goal
List of international goals scored by István Kozma :
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
| 1 | 5 September 1990 | Megyeri úti stadion, Újpest, Hungary | 20 | Turkey | 2–0 | 4–1 | Friendly | |

## Honours
### Dunfermline Athletic

* Scottish League Cup: Runner-up, 1991

### APOEL

* Cypriot First Division: 1995–96
* Cypriot Cup: 1995–96, 1996–97
* Cypriot Super Cup: 1996, 1997

### Ujpest

* Nemzeti Bajnokság I: 1997–98