Tomasz Cywka

Tomasz Cywka
Cywka training with Derby County in 2011
Personal information
Full name Tomasz Wojciech Cywka[1]
Date of birth (1988-06-27) 27 June 1988 (age 36)[2]
Place of birth Gliwice, Poland
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Lech Poznań U19 (assistant)
Youth career
0000 Polonia Bytom
2003–2004 Zantka Chorzów
2003–2006 Gwarek Zabrze
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2010 Wigan Athletic 0 (0)
2006 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
2010 → Derby County (loan) 5 (0)
2010–2012 Derby County 39 (5)
2012 Reading 4 (0)
2012–2014 Barnsley 59 (9)
2014–2015 Blackpool 6 (1)
2014–2015 → Rochdale (loan) 3 (0)
2015–2018 Wisła Kraków 79 (0)
2018–2020 Lech Poznań 9 (1)
2018–2020 Lech Poznań II 9 (0)
2020–2022 Chrobry Głogów 48 (2)
2022–2024 Lech Poznań II 52 (3)
Total 317 (21)
International career
Poland U19
Poland U20 4 (0)
2006–2009 Poland U21 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Tomasz Wojciech Cywka (Polish pronunciation: [ˈtɔmaʂ ˈt͡sɨfka]; born 27 June 1988) is a Polish former professional footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.

He spent most of his career in England, playing for Wigan Athletic, Oldham Athletic, Derby County, Reading, Barnsley, Blackpool and Rochdale.

Cywka played internationally for Poland at under-19, under-20, and under-21 level.

Club career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Born in Gliwice, Silesian Voivodeship,[2] Cywka was part of the winning U-19 Gwarek Zabrze team which captured the 2006 Polish U-19 Championship.

Wigan Athletic

[edit]

Following a successful week-long trial at Wigan Athletic, Cywka signed a three-year contract in July 2006 transferring him from Gwarek Zabrze to the Premier League side. He made his first appearance in September 2006 as a substitute against Crewe Alexandra in the League Cup.

In October 2006 he moved on loan to League One side Oldham Athletic where he made four substitute appearances.

He made his second appearance for Wigan in an FA Cup match against Tottenham in January 2009, coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute. In February 2009 Steve Bruce suggested that Cywka was on the verge of breaking into the first team,[3] however, the following month Cywka suffered torn knee ligaments which would see him out until the following season.[4]

Derby County

[edit]

On 25 March 2010, Cywka joined Championship side Derby County on loan till the end of the season.[5] He made his debut for Derby as a late sub in a loss against Ipswich before starting the final four matches of the season. In April, Derby manager Nigel Clough began talks to extend his stay at Pride Park Stadium into next season.[6][7] On 25 May, it was announced that he would sign a two-year contract with Derby on a free transfer on 1 July, after turning down Wigan's extension offer due to his desire for first team football.[8][9]

Cywka appeared in Derby's opening fixture for the 2010–11 season, an away match against Leeds United, in which the Rams won 2–1. His first goal for the club came on Saturday 14 August 2010 in a match which finished 2–1 to the visiting Cardiff City. Cywka suffered a fractured cheekbone in the same match.[10] He quickly returned to action, however, and grabbed this 2nd and 3rd senior goals with a brace in a 4–1 win over Watford on 30 October 2010, which earned him a place in the Championship Team of the Week.[11] Cywka again started against Portsmouth at Pride Park and won a penalty after being fouled in the box, Robbie Savage scored the opener from the spot and the Rams went on to record a 2–0 victory. His 4th goal came in the 3–2 victory over Scunthorpe United, scoring within the first 5 minutes.[12]

On 5 February 2011, Cywka was openly criticised by Derby boss Nigel Clough after his losing of the ball late in the game led to a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Portsmouth. Of Cywka, Clough said "He's an extremely inexperienced and not very bright footballer ... he can go back to Wigan or wherever he came from – I'm not really bothered – until he learns the game." These incidents led PFA Chief Gordon Taylor to criticise Clough, saying "It cannot be appropriate to criticise your team in such a way in public. We'll sort things out ... otherwise it looks an untenable situation.".[13] Despite the criticisms after the Portsmouth game Cywka made a further six appearances for the Rams before being ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee ligament injury.

Cywka found himself out of the side for the start of the 2011–12 season as Derby made their best start to a season for over 100 years. His first league appearance came in the seventh fixture, away at Nottingham Forest, but he was withdrawn after just four minutes when the dismissal of Frank Fielding led to the need for a tactical reshuffle. Three late substitute appearances followed before he earned his second start of the campaign in the twelfth match of the season, away to Reading, when injuries had left Derby with just Cywka and Theo Robinson to choose from amongst the club's strikers. In the event, Cywka scored his first goal of the season in the 75th minute to give Derby a 2–1 lead in a match they eventually drew 2–2. After a succession of poor performances and losing his place in the first team, Cywka was told by Derby manager Nigel Clough in January 2012 that he was free to leave the club on a free transfer. This followed the news that a move to a Polish club had broken down,[14] which later turned out to be Ekstraklasa leaders Śląsk Wrocław.[15]

Reading

[edit]

On 26 January 2012, Cywka joined Championship side Reading, on a free transfer until the end of the season, and took squad number 41. He made his début in a 1–0 win over Bristol City, securing the winning penalty. Cywka also featured in the last 20 minutes of a home game against Coventry, impressing with his first touch and dribbling ability.[15] During his time at Reading, Tomasz being awarded a Championship winning medal. On 2 May 2012 Reading announced that Cywka had been released by the club.[16]

Barnsley

[edit]

On 6 August 2012, Cywka joined Championship side Barnsley on a one-year deal. He scored his first goal for Barnsley in a 3–1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 21 August 2012. His second came in a 1–0 win against Charlton Athletic at The Valley on 20 October 2012. He bagged his third Reds goal in the game with Bristol City, however only scant consolation in a 5–3 defeat. In September he scored a freekick from 40 yards out against Nottingham Forest.

Blackpool

[edit]

On 28 July 2014, following an unsuccessful trial at Charlton Athletic, Cywka signed for Blackpool on a one-year deal.[17] He made his debut for the club on 9 August,[18] and scored his first goal in a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on 16 August 2014.[19]

On 26 November 2014, Cywka joined Rochdale on loan until 3 January 2015.[20] He played 3 times for Rochdale in the league that season, as they finished in 8th place, their highest-ever league placing.

He was released by Blackpool in May 2015.[21]

Return to Poland

[edit]

Cywka returned to Poland in 2015, signing with Wisła Kraków. He played 85 games in a three-year spell at the White Star.[22]

On 13 June 2018 he signed a two-year contract with Ekstraklasa side Lech Poznań.[23] He debuted on 12 July 2018 in 2018–19 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round match against Gandzasar Kapan.[24]

On 29 August 2020 he signed a one-year contract with Chrobry Głogów in the second-tier I liga.[25]

After leaving Chrobry at the end of his contract, he joined Lech Poznań's reserve team on 27 June 2022, signing a one-year deal.[26] He retired from professional football at the end of the 2023–24 season to join Lech's academy coaching staff.[27][28]

International career

[edit]

Cywka has played for Poland at under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels.[29][30]

Career statistics

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Wigan Athletic 2006–07[31] Premier League 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 0
2007–08[32] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2008–09[33] Premier League 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 0
2009–10[34] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 0 0 1 0 1 0 — 2 0
Oldham Athletic 2006–07[31] League One 4 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 5 0
Derby County (loan) 2009–10[34] Championship 5 0 0 0 0 0 — 5 0
Derby County 2010–11[35] Championship 31 4 1 0 1 0 — 33 4
2011–12[36] Championship 8 1 0 0 1 0 — 9 1
Total 44 5 1 0 2 0 — 47 5
Reading 2011–12[36] Championship 4 0 0 0 0 0 — 4 0
Barnsley 2012–13[37] Championship 29 5 2 0 2 0 — 33 5
2013–14[38] Championship 30 4 1 0 2 0 — 33 4
Total 59 9 3 0 4 0 — 66 9
Blackpool 2014–15[39] Championship 6 1 0 0 1 0 — 7 1
Rochdale 2014–15[39] League One 3 0 2 0 0 0 — 5 0
Wisła Kraków 2015–16[40] Ekstraklasa 27 0 1 0 — — 28 0
2016–17[41] Ekstraklasa 25 0 3 0 — — 28 0
2017–18[42] Ekstraklasa 27 0 2 0 — — 29 0
Total 79 0 6 0 — — 85 0
Lech Poznań 2018–19[43] Ekstraklasa 9 1 1 0 — 6[b] 1 16 2
2019–20[44] Ekstraklasa 0 0 1 0 — — 1 0
Total 9 1 2 0 — 6 1 17 2
Lech Poznań II 2018–19[43] III liga 1 0 — — — 1 0
2019–20[44] II liga 8 0 0 0 — — 8 0
Total 9 0 0 0 — — 9 0
Chrobry Głogów 2020–21[45] I liga 29 1 0 0 — — 29 1
2021–22[46] I liga 19 1 1 0 — — 20 1
Total 48 2 1 0 — — 49 2
Lech Poznań II 2022–23[47] II liga 30 3 1 1 — — 31 4
2023–24[48] II liga 22 0 0 0 — — 22 0
Total 52 3 1 1 — — 53 4
Career total 317 21 17 1 8 0 7 1 349 23
  1. ^ Appearance in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

[edit]

Reading

Lech Poznań II

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007: List of Players: Poland" (PDF). FIFA. 5 July 2007. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  3. ^ James Dall (5 February 2009). "Bruce challenges Pole". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  4. ^ Paul Farrington (11 March 2009). "Cywka out for the season". Wiganer.net. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Derby seal loan deal for Wigan striker Tomasz Cywka". BBC Sport. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Rams closing in on Polish star Cywka". Derby Telegraph. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Derby County: Clough wants Cywka to stay". Derby Telegraph. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Tomasz joins Rams but it's no to Buijs next season". Derby Telegraph. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  9. ^ "Cywka to make permanent Derby switch". Eurosport. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  10. ^ "Derby's Tomasz Cywka suffers fractured cheekbone". BBC Sport. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  11. ^ "Cywka Named in Team of the Week". Derby County F.C. 30 October 2010.
  12. ^ "Derby 3–2 Scunthorpe". BBC Sport. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Nigel Clough wrong to slam Tomasz Cywka – Gordon Taylor". BBC Sport. 8 February 2011.
  14. ^ "Derby striker Tomasz Cywka available on free transfer". BBC Sport. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Reading sign Derby's Tomasz Cywka on free transfer". BBC Sport. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  16. ^ "Royals aim to extend ten contracts". Reading F.C. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Blackpool: Peter Clarke, Jacob Mellis and Tomasz Cywka sign". BBC Sport. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  18. ^ "Nottm Forest 2-0 Blackpool". BBC Sport. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  19. ^ "Blackpool 1-2 Blackburn". BBC Sport. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  20. ^ "Tomasz Cywka Joins Dale On Loan". Rochdale AFC. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  21. ^ "Retained List Announced" - Blackpool F.C.'s official website, 19 May 2015
  22. ^ Karcz, Bartosz (25 May 2018). "Wisła Kraków. Wzloty i upadki Tomasza Cywki w zespole "Białej Gwiazdy"". Gazeta Krakowska (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  23. ^ "Cywka piłkarzem Lecha Poznań". Lech Poznań. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  24. ^ "Mecz bez atmosfery". Lech Poznań. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  25. ^ "TOMASZ CYWKA ZASILA CHROBREGO" (in Polish). Chrobry Głogów. 29 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Cywka i Żołądź dołączają do drugiej drużyny" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 27 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Siedmiu zawodników odeszło z rezerw" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  28. ^ "Zmiany na ławkach we wronieckiej części akademii" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  29. ^ "1st Team". Wigan Athletic F.C. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011.
  30. ^ "MŚ U-20: Klęska biało – czerwonych" (in Polish). Polish Football Association. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  31. ^ a b "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  32. ^ "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  33. ^ "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  34. ^ a b "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  35. ^ "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  36. ^ a b "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  37. ^ "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  38. ^ "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  39. ^ a b "Games played by Tomasz Cywka in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  40. ^ "Sezon 2015/16". 90minut. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  41. ^ "Sezon 2016/17". 90minut. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  42. ^ "Sezon 2017/18". 90minut. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  43. ^ a b "Sezon 2018/19". 90minut. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  44. ^ a b "Sezon 2019/20" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  45. ^ "Sezon 2020/21" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  46. ^ "Sezon 2021/22" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  47. ^ "Sezon 2022/23" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  48. ^ "Sezon 2023/24" (in Polish). 90minut. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  49. ^ "Reading 2-2 Crystal Palace". bbc.com. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  50. ^ "Oni wywalczyli awans: pomocnicy i napastnicy" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
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