Kerzhakov Mikhail Anatolyevich (born January 28, 1987, Kingisepp, Leningrad Region) is a Russian football goalkeeper who plays for Saint Petersburg's Zenit. He is the younger brother of striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov. In the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons he played in goal for Nizhny Novgorod's Volga in the Premier League.[1][2]
Career
He grew up in Kingisepp; as a child he practiced kickboxing, boxing, and karate. A product of the Zenit (Saint Petersburg) football academy, he first appeared in the senior squad's matchday roster in 2005.[1] Before establishing himself at Zenit he was repeatedly sent out on loan: in 2008 to Volga (Ulyanovsk, 21 matches, 26 goals conceded), in 2009 to Volgar-Gazprom (Astrakhan), and in 2010 to Alania (Vladikavkaz, 16 matches, 22 goals conceded).[2] While on loan at Alania, he conceded two goals to his older brother Aleksandr in a match against Zenit.[2]
In the 2013/14 season he moved to Anzhi (Makhachkala), for whom he played 55 official matches over two and a half seasons and conceded 54 goals.[2] In 2017 he played 5 Premier League matches on loan for Orenburg.[3] Since 2015 he has been Zenit's first-choice or backup goalkeeper: by the 2023/24 season he had made more than 100 top-flight appearances in Russian championships for the Saint Petersburg club and had taken part in UEFA Champions League group stages.[3][1] With Zenit he became Russian champion in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.[2]
At Nizhny Novgorod's Volga
In the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons, Kerzhakov played for Volga (Nizhny Novgorod), making 31 official appearances in the Russian championship and conceding 39 goals; he also played 2 matches in the Russian Cup for the club.[1][2] The 2012/13 season was Volga's last in the Premier League — at the end of the championship the club was relegated from the top division.[3]
Family
His older brother is Aleksandr Kerzhakov (born September 27, 1982), one of the leading forwards in the history of Russian football, Zenit's record goalscorer in domestic league championships, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, and winner of the 2007 UEFA Cup. The brothers' father played for the Khimik team from Dzerzhinsk.[2]
Sources
- 100bombardirov.ru — 100 Bombardirov — Mikhail Kerzhakov: all matches for Russian teams
- sports.ru — Russian football dynasties: the Kerzhakov brothers — Football and players
- news.sportbox.ru — Kerzhakov Mikhail Anatolyevich — Goalkeeper — Kerzhakov Mihail
- fcorenburg.ru — Kerzhakov Mikhail Anatolyevich — Goalkeepers — Official website of FC Orenburg