# Kacper Kozłowski (footballer)

Kacper Szymon Kozłowski (born 16 October 2003) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Gaziantep.

## Club career

Kozłowski started his career with Pogoń Szczecin. In January 2022, he transferred to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported fee of £8,000,000, where he was immediately loaned to Brighton's sister club Union SG of Belgian First Division A for the rest of the season.
In August 2022, Kozłowski joined Vitesse in the Netherlands on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season.
On 18 July 2023, he rejoined Vitesse on another season-long loan spell.
On 19 July 2024, Kozłowski left Brighton permanently to join Turkish club Gaziantep for an undisclosed fee.

## International career

In June 2021, Kozłowski featured for Poland at UEFA Euro 2020 in a 1–1 draw with Spain, to become the youngest player of any nationality to play at a European Championship, aged 17 years and 246 days, breaking the previous record of Jude Bellingham, who himself had broken the same record only six days prior. He kept the record until 2024, when Lamine Yamal debuted at the European Championship at 16 years and 338 days.
Kozłowski was named in the provisional squad for Poland for the 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign, but he was not included in the final 26-man squad.

## Personal life

On 10 January 2020, Kozłowski suffered a traffic accident that almost ended his football career. Whilst on his way to training for Pogon Szczecin with two of his teammates, their car was involved in a crash. Suffering the most severe injuries of the three, Kozłowski had broken his pelvis and broke three vertebrae in his lower back. Despite the near life-ending and career-threatening injury, he managed to recover and return to football. Speaking to Goal in 2021 about the accident, he said "I couldn't train for almost half a year. It was a difficult time, but I focus on the here and now, not the past" and stated that the experience might help him mentally in the future having gone through it.
In the NXGN 50 in 2022, Kozłowski was ranked as the 19th best wonderkid in football.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 22 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Pogoń Szczecin II | 2018–19 | III liga, group II | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Pogoń Szczecin II | 2019–20 | III liga, group II | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 2 |
| Pogoń Szczecin II | 2020–21 | III liga, group II | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 |
| Pogoń Szczecin II | Total | Total | 25 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 5 |
| Pogoń Szczecin | 2018–19 | Ekstraklasa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Pogoń Szczecin | 2019–20 | Ekstraklasa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Pogoń Szczecin | 2020–21 | Ekstraklasa | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 1 |
| Pogoń Szczecin | 2021–22 | Ekstraklasa | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 3 |
| Pogoń Szczecin | Total | Total | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 43 | 4 |
| Union SG (loan) | 2021–22 | Belgian First Division A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 |
| Vitesse (loan) | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 2 |
| Vitesse (loan) | 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 3 |
| Vitesse (loan) | Total | Total | 59 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | 5 |
| Gaziantep | 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 3 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 144 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 17 |
* ↑ Includes Polish Cup, KNVB Cup
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

### International

    As of match played 9 October 2021
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Poland |
| Poland | 2021 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 6 | 0 |

## Honours

Individual
* Polish Newcomer of the Year: 2021
* Ekstraklasa Young Player of the Month: December 2020
* NXGN (19th of 50): 2022