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Alex Iacovitti

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Alexander Iacovitti (born 2 September 1997) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish Premiership club St Mirren.

Alex Iacovitti
Iacovitti with Nottingham Forest in 2016
Personal information
Full name Alexander Iacovitti[1]
Date of birth (1997-09-02) 2 September 1997 (age 27)[2]
Place of birth Nottingham, England[2]
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender[3]
Team information
Current team
 St Mirren
Number 4
Youth career
2009–2019 Nottingham Forest
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Nottingham Forest 2 (0)
2016–2017 → Mansfield Town (loan) 8 (0)
2017–2018 → Forest Green Rovers (loan) 14 (1)
2019 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 9 (1)
2019–2020 Oldham Athletic 24 (0)
2020–2023 Ross County 103 (7)
2023–2024 Port Vale 31 (1)
2024– St Mirren 5 (2)
International career
2014 Scotland U17 6 (0)
2015–2016 Scotland U19 9 (0)
2017 Scotland U20 5 (0)
2016–2017 Scotland U21 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:27, 27 April 2024 (UTC)

Iacovitti won caps with Scotland up to under-21 level and made his debut at club level for Nottingham Forest in August 2016. He spent the first half of the 2016–17 season on loan at Mansfield Town and the first half of the 2017–18 campaign on loan at Forest Green Rovers. He joined Oldham Athletic on loan in January 2019, making the deal permanent four months later. He signed with Scottish Premiership club Ross County in June 2020, where he would play 116 games throughout three seasons. He joined Port Vale in July 2023. He returned to the Scottish Premiership in July 2024 after being signed by St Mirren for an undisclosed fee.

Club career

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Nottingham Forest

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Iacovitti joined the Academy of Nottingham Forest at the age eleven, becoming an ever-present in the under-18 team that reached the play-off semi-final and FA Youth Cup quarter-final.[4][5] Following the departure of manager Dougie Freedman, Iacovitti was linked with a move to Aston Villa in August 2015, where former Forest academy boss Kevin MacDonald was now assistant manager.[6][7] He remained in Nottingham, however, and made his professional debut for the club on 6 August 2016, starting at left-back under Philippe Montanier in a 4–3 win over Burton Albion at the City Ground.[8][9] On 31 August, Iacovitti joined League Two club Mansfield Town on loan for the 2016–17 season.[10] Stags manager Adam Murray had been in need of a centre-half following a hamstring injury to Kyle Howkins.[11] Iacovitti made his debut at Field Mill on 10 September in a 1–0 defeat to Barnet.[12] On 12 November, Iacovitti was shown a red card in the 74th-minute away at Portsmouth after a late challenge on Michael Doyle; a goal down at the time, Mansfield went on to lose the game 4–0 having also had Howkins dismissed.[13] This was his last appearance for the club and he returned to Nottingham early from his loan spell on 1 January; Steve Evans, who had replaced Murray as manager in November, cited the reason as a lack of playing time.[14]

On 31 July 2017, Iacovitti was loaned to League Two club Forest Green Rovers for the 2017–18 season.[15] He scored his first goal in senior football on 18 November, when his 93rd-minute winner secured a 3–2 victory over Crewe Alexandra at The New Lawn and sent manager Mark Cooper into a celebratory dash down the touchline.[16] He featured a total of nineteen times for Forest Green.[17] He was linked with a move to Notts County before Kevin Nolan's departure in August 2018.[18]

Oldham Athletic

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On 28 January 2019, Iacovitti joined League Two side Oldham Athletic on loan for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[19] He played at centre-half and left-back, and credited senior players Peter Clarke and David Wheater with aiding his development.[20] Iacovitti was released by Forest at the end of the season and on 21 May 2019, Iacovitti joined Oldham Athletic permanently on a two-year deal, with an option for a further year.[21][22] However, having been initially signed by Pete Wild, club owner Abdallah Lemsagam had promised the contract to Iacovitti without consulting stand-in manager Paul Scholes, causing Scholes to quit in protest at ownership interference in first-team matters.[23] Iacovitti made 30 appearances across the 2019–20 campaign under Laurent Banide and Dino Maamria, scoring one goal in the EFL Trophy.[24] His contract was terminated by mutual consent on 26 June 2020.[25]

Ross County

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On 26 June 2020, Iacovitti joined Scottish Premiership club Ross County on a permanent contract.[26] He made his debut at Victoria Park on 3 August in a 1–0 win over Motherwell.[27] Speaking in September, manager Stuart Kettlewell said that Iacovitti had "flown under the radar" with some strong performances at the start of the 2020–21 season.[28] He maintained his first-team place under new manager John Hughes and ended the campaign with four goals in 42 games.[29] He started the 2021–22 season with two goals in two games, ending up with four goals in 33 appearances.[30]

He signed a new deal with the club in June 2022, having impressed manager Malky Mackay with his consistency and professionalism.[31] He formed a strong central defensive partnership with Jack Baldwin, leading Mackay to say that Iacovitti had been among his most consistent performers since his arrival at the club.[32] He scored four goals in 41 games in the 2022–23 season, with two of his goals coming in defeats at home to Celtic.[33] County finished in the relegation/promotion play-off place at the end of the campaign, which the club won. However, Iacovitti was unable to feature due to injury.[34]

Port Vale

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On 23 June 2023, Iacovitti agreed on a two-year deal with League One side Port Vale, due to start on 1 July; manager Andy Crosby and director of football david Flitcroft emphasised the player's strength and physical presence, in addition to his character.[35] On 30 September, following a good start to the campaign, he sustained a calf injury in a 1–0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers at Vale Park which saw him ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks.[36] He initially struggled for form upon his return to fitness before looking more assured as the weeks went by.[37] He featured 38 times in the 2023–24 season as the "Valiants" were relegated into League Two.[38]

St Mirren

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On 16 July 2024, Iacovitti returned to the Scottish Premiership after signing a two-year deal with St Mirren, who paid Port Vale an undisclosed transfer fee.[39] Manager Stephen Robinson cited the need to add experience to his young squad, as well as a balance between left and right-footed defenders.[40] Iacovitti said that the chance to play European football appealed to him.[41] He scored on his debut for the Buddies in a 4–1 win over Valur in a UEFA Conference League qualification game at St Mirren Park.[42] He scored again off the bench in the away leg of the next qualifying round, in Bergen against SK Brann.[43]

He suffered an injury early in the 2024–25 season, which kept him our of action until Christmas.[44]

International career

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Born in England to an Italian father and a Scottish mother,[45] Iacovitti made his debut for the Scotland under-19 team in a 1–0 victory over Bulgaria on 4 September 2015.[46] He won nine caps at under-19 level over a seven-month period, with five games being in Scotland's unsuccessful 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification campaign.[47] He was capped at under-20 level in a 3–2 defeat to the Czech Republic on 31 May 2017.[48] He won a further four caps at under-20 level, featuring in the 2017 Toulon Tournament where Scotland finished third.[49] He won his first under-21 cap in a 2–0 defeat to Iceland on 5 October 2016.[50] In total he won four caps at under-21 level, including two 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches.[51]

Style of play

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Iacovitti is a central defender, though he is also able to play as a left-back.[20] A threat from set pieces due to his height, he has good mental attributes and is a leader at the back.[52][53] He has pace. He is comfortable on the ball, leaving him able to carry the ball out of defence with his left foot.[54][55]

Career statistics

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As of match played 27 April 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nottingham Forest 2016–17[56] Championship 2 0 0 0 0 0 — 2 0
2017–18[17] Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2018–19[57] Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Mansfield Town (loan) 2016–17[56] League Two 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Forest Green Rovers (loan) 2017–18[17] League Two 14 1 1 0 0 0 4[a] 0 19 1
Oldham Athletic (loan) 2018–19[57] League Two 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1
Oldham Athletic 2019–20[24] League Two 24 0 2 0 1 0 3[a] 1 30 1
Total 33 1 2 0 1 0 3 1 39 2
Ross County 2020–21[29] Scottish Premiership 36 2 0 0 6 2 — 42 4
2021–22[30] Scottish Premiership 31 2 0 0 2 2 — 33 4
2022–23[33] Scottish Premiership 36 3 0 0 5 1 — 41 4
Total 103 7 0 0 13 5 0 0 116 12
Port Vale 2023–24[58] League One 31 1 2 0 3 0 2[a] 0 38 1
St Mirren 2024–25[59] Scottish Premiership 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 2
Career total 193 10 5 0 17 5 12 3 227 18
  1. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy

References

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  1. ^ "Notification of shirt numbers: Oldham Athletic" (PDF). English Football League. p. 50. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Alex Iacovitti at Soccerway  
  3. ^ Alex Iacovitti at Soccerbase  
  4. ^ Leach, Tom (21 May 2019). "Alex Iacovitti makes joins Oldham after 10 years at Forest". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Stags' boss snaps up Forest defender". www.mansfieldtown.net. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  6. ^ Cusick, Aiden (28 March 2016). "Nottingham Forest's Alex Iacovitti explains why he was disappointed to see Dougie Freedman go". HITC. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  7. ^ Elliott, Grant (13 August 2015). "Aston Villa eyeing move for talented Nottingham Forest star". FootballLeagueWorld. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Nottingham Forest 4-3 Burton Albion". BBC Sport. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Matty Cash and Alex Iacovitti handed Nottingham Forest senior debuts against Burton Albion". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Mansfield sign Iacovitti on loan". BBC Sport. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Alex Iacovitti joins Mansfield Town on loan from Nottingham Forest". Sky Sports. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Mansfield Town 0-1 Barnet". BBC Sport. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Portsmouth 4-0 Mansfield Town". BBC Sport. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  14. ^ Nash, Mathew (31 December 2016). "Steve Evans explains why Alex Iacovitti has been sent back to Nottingham Forest". HITC. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Nottingham Forest FC". Nottingham Forest Football Club. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  16. ^ Loveridge, Ashley (18 November 2017). "FULL-TIME REPORT Forest Green Rovers 3 Crewe Alexandra 2: Alex Iacovitti snatches dramatic 93rd minute winner". Stroud News and Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  17. ^ a b c "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  18. ^ Cooper, Barry (28 January 2019). "Iacovitti becomes second defender to leave Forest in 24 hours". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  19. ^ "SIGNING: Latics Sign Fullback On Loan". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Iacovitti Looking To Continue His Development". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Nottingham Forest FC". Nottingham Forest Football Club. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  22. ^ "SIGNING: Alex Iacovitti Joins The Club Permanently". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  23. ^ Cusack, Richard (19 March 2019). "Forest man 'final straw' in Scholes' Oldham departure". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  24. ^ a b "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Iacovitti & Sylla Depart". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  26. ^ "Ross County add defender Iacovitti". BBC Sport. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  27. ^ Campbell, Andy (4 August 2020). "Motherwell boss rues slow start at County". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  28. ^ Fraser, Alasdair (25 September 2020). "Kettlewell snaps back at snipers". RossShire Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  30. ^ a b "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  31. ^ "Ex-Scotland Under-21 defender Alex Iacovitti signs new deal with Ross County". fourfourtwo.com. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  32. ^ Skinner, Andy (8 September 2022). "Malky Mackay hails Ross County defender Alex Iacovitti's 'desire to stop ball going in the net'". Press and Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  34. ^ "Alex Iacovitti to leave Ross County". RCFC. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  35. ^ "Alex Iacovitti is a Valiant". Port Vale F.C. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  36. ^ Baggaley, Mike (4 October 2023). "Much to consider for Andy Crosby with injuries, red card and Bristol Rovers defeat". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  37. ^ Baggaley, Mike (21 January 2024). "Port Vale transfer window talking points". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  38. ^ "Alex Iacovitti: St Mirren sign former Ross County defender on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  39. ^ "Alex Iacovitti joins St Mirren". Port Vale FC. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Alex Iacovitti signs for Saints on two-year deal". St Mirren FC. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  41. ^ Paterson, Colin (18 July 2024). "Alex Iacovitti relishing St Mirren Euro test after relegation agony". Daily Record. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  42. ^ "St Mirren 4-1 Valur (agg 4-1): UEFA Conference League". BBC Sport. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  43. ^ "St Mirren out of Europe after defeat by Brann". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  44. ^ Baggaley, Mike (19 September 2024). "Heading in the right direction". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  45. ^ Walker, Mark (21 November 2015). "Faced with the choice of playing football for Italy, England or Scotland, rising football star Alex Iacovitti pick the latter". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  46. ^ "International Matches". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  47. ^ "Alexander Iacovitti | Scotland | Scottish FA". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  48. ^ "International Matches". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  49. ^ "Alexander Iacovitti | Scotland | Scottish FA". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  50. ^ "International Matches". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  51. ^ "Alexander Iacovitti | Scotland | Scottish FA". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  52. ^ "Port Vale sign Ross County defender Iacovitti". BBC Sport. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  53. ^ "Key figures in Ross County's survival mission | SPFL". spfl.co.uk. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  54. ^ "Murray pleased to capture sought-after defender". www.mansfieldtown.net. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  55. ^ "Five young stars who could make the breakthrough". www.stagsnet.net. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  56. ^ a b "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  57. ^ a b "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  58. ^ "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  59. ^ "Games played by Alex Iacovitti in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
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