Juljan Shehu

Juljan Shehu (; born 6 September 1998) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ekstraklasa club Widzew Łódź, which he captains, and the Albania national team.

Shehu came through the youth systems of Olimpic, Partizani Tirana, and Internacionale Tirana before moving abroad in 2017 to join Greek third-tier side Paniliakos, where he began his senior career. In 2018, he returned to Albania and signed for Kastrioti, becoming a regular starter in the Kategoria Superiore and contributing consistently during the 2018–19 season, despite the club's eventual relegation in a tightly contested campaign that was decided by narrow point margins.

He subsequently moved to Laçi, remaining in the Kategoria Superiore. During his three seasons there from 2019 to 2022, Shehu established himself as one of the team's most consistent and influential midfielders. He made over 90 league appearances, contributing goals and assists while helping the club to consecutive top-four finishes in the Kategoria Superiore, including a runners-up position in 2021–22. At Laçi, he also gained extensive experience in European competitions, featuring in both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers, and played a key role in the team's domestic cup campaigns, reaching the 2022 Albanian Cup final.

After his successful spell in Albania, Shehu moved abroad in June 2022, joining Polish Ekstraklasa side Widzew Łódź, where he gradually became an integral part of the team's midfield. Over his first three seasons in Poland, he amassed more than 70 appearances in all competitions, noted for his work rate, ball-winning ability, and leadership. His performances earned him a contract extension until 2028 and a call-up to the Albania national team in March 2025, where he made his senior debut during the World Cup qualifiers under coach Sylvinho.

Club career Early career Shehu was born in Tirane, Albania.

He scored his first goal for the club on matchday 7 on 3 October against Tirana, although Kastrioti lost the home game 3–2.

Shehu was a regular starter throughout the season, missing only a few matches,

Shehu also featured in the Albanian Cup second round first leg on 22 January 2019 against Partizani, scoring a goal in a 2–4 home defeat.

Overall, he collected 32 appearances and 5 goals.

Laçi In July 2019, Shehu joined fellow Kategoria Superiore side Laçi.

Shehu scored his first goal for the club on 8 December 2019, opening the second half in a 3–0 home win over Flamurtari. He added another goal on 15 June 2020, converting a penalty against Skënderbeu to secure a 1–1 draw on matchday 29, helping Laçi remain in contention for a European qualification spot. Following that, Laçi went on an impressive run, winning six of their final seven league matches to secure a third place in the championship, which qualified the club for European league next season.

Shehu himself completed the season having started 33 league matches, playing a key role in Laçi's strong finish and qualification for European competition, while also receiving ten yellow cards during the process.

In the domestic league, Shehu was a regular starter throughout the season, making 32 appearances, almost all as a full 90-minute player. He scored three goals and provided three assists, contributing crucial points for the team as Laçi finished fourth in the table to secure qualification for the newly established UEFA Conference League. In the semi-finals, Laçi faced Vllaznia and were narrowly defeated 1–0, with Shehu playing the full 90 minutes. In the second qualifying round, he played two full matches against Romanian club Universitatea Craiova, helping his team progress 1–0 on aggregate.

2022–23 season He made his debut in Poland's top flight on 17 July 2022, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in a 2–1 away defeat against Pogoń Szczecin in the opening round of the 2022–23 season. He quickly adapted to the pace and physicality of Polish football, gradually establishing himself as part of Widzew's midfield rotation. Shehu began the season as a rotational option, featuring regularly in the opening rounds before missing several weeks through injury.

Over the whole campaign, he had played 24 matches. He later added another assist and received four consecutive yellow cards during a stretch of matches in which the team achieved relatively positive results. Around a month later, he found the net in three consecutive league matches, contributing to two victories that helped Widzew strengthen their league position. On 23 November 2025, he scored in a match against Korona Kielce, netting his team's first goal in a 3–1 defeat.

2026–27 Shehu was named Widzew's captain ahead of the 2026–27 season.

International career Shehu represented the Albania U21 during 2019, making five appearances in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers and featuring in three friendly matches that year. He made his senior debut on 24 March 2025 in a 3–0 home victory against Andorra, starting as a defensive midfielder. He established himself as a starter in defensive midfield during the qualifying campaign, making six appearances in Group K, all as a starter, playing 90 minutes in five matches and 85 minutes in one, as the team recorded four wins without conceding and two draws, remaining unbeaten in matches in which he featured. Albania secured qualification to the play-off for the first time in its history. In the play-off on 26 March 2026 against Poland, Shehu started and played the full match, as Albania lost 2–1 after initially taking the lead and was eliminated.

Career statistics Club

International