15-year-old Dawid Szczepaniak with a professional contract

Another player to sign his first professional contract with Wisła Kraków is 15-year-old Dawid Szczepaniak. The young defender, who plays for the CLJ U-17 team, has committed his future to the White Star until June 30, 2027.

Dawid Szczepaniak was born on June 2, 2008, and took his first steps in football with the R22 team, where he is a former academy player. He joined the Wisła Kraków Football Academy in 2013, also being part of the Wisła Kraków Football School project. The 15-year-old played in the junior and youth categories, and later as a junior player. In 2022, Szczepaniak made his debut in the Central Junior League U-15, and in the current league campaign, he is a player under coach Patryk Jałocha in the CLJ U-17 team. The young player has made 18 appearances at this level this season.

Ambition and self-confidence

Over a decade of representing Wisła, and now his first professional contract. Dawid Szczepaniak couldn't hide his joy at this special moment. The young U-17 defender recalled his past at the club's R22 and described how he felt playing in a team of his older generation. "This day is the fulfillment of my childhood dreams. Since joining Wisła almost 11 years ago, I've always dreamed of signing a professional contract with the club. Now it's time to continue working towards a first-team debut in the future," says Szczepaniak.

"I started at the club as a little boy. Year after year, I felt like I was developing my skills more and more. Of course, there were both ups and downs. I had a great time in the team led by coach Marek Konieczny, then coach Bartosz Bąk, and now I've been given a chance by coach Patryk Jałocha in the U-17 team. I feel very good there, I'm confident, and I think I'm on par with my older teammates. Everyone supports me, we get along well, and I think we can achieve at least second place," he concluded.

We spoke with the 15-year-old defender's mentor, coach Patryk Jałocha. The CLJ U-17 coach highlighted the young Wisła player's strengths and assessed his progress since joining the team. "Dawid has certainly earned this moment with his daily work in training and his dedication to training-related matters. His play shows a lot of courage and freedom of action when in possession, and he is also characterized by the ability to anticipate and understand the game well. Since I first had the opportunity to work with him, he has made significant progress. I hope this will motivate him to continue working so that he can comprehensively develop his skills," said U-17 coach Patryk Jałocha about his player.