Biography
Who is Rey Manaj?
Early life and career beginnings
Rey Manaj was born in Lushnjë, Albania, on February 24, 1997. He moved to Italy with his parents when he was three years old. He started his youth football career at the age of eleven with Piacenza in 2008, where he won a few trophies and individual ratings before the academy was declared bankrupt in 2012. Following this, he joined U.S. Cremonese and later spent time on loan in the youth setup at Sampdoria.
During his time with Sampdoria, he once attempted a shot from the middle of the field during a training game and later scored a similar goal in an official match against Siena primavera. Sampdoria ultimately did not purchase him permanently due to a change in club ownership, and he returned to Cremonese to start his professional career.
Professional club career
Rey Manaj made his Cremonese debut on September 7, 2014, at the age of seventeen against Mantova. He scored his first professional goal on October 11 against Alessandria Calcio, becoming the youngest player to score in that category at seventeen years and seven months old. On July 14, 2015, he transferred to Inter Milan for a fee of one million euros and signed a five-year contract. He made his Serie A debut on August 23, 2015, replacing Brozović in a home win against Atalanta.
Over the following seasons, he spent time on loan at several clubs including Pescara, Pisa, Granada, and Albacete. He later signed a permanent contract with Albacete before joining Barcelona B in January 2020 on a three-and-a-half-year contract. He became the first Albanian player to make the Barcelona senior team matchday squad when he was called up by coach Quique Setien against Getafe in February 2020, though he remained an unused substitute.
Later career and international play
After his time with Barcelona, Rey Manaj joined Spezia Calcio on loan in August 2021 with an option to buy. In July 2022, he moved to Championship club Watford on a three-year deal. He scored his first goal for Watford against Birmingham City before suffering a hamstring injury in September 2022 that required surgery in Finland. His contract with Watford was subsequently terminated by mutual consent after the January transfer window.
On August 22, 2023, he signed a three-year contract with Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor. He scored thirty goals in sixty league games for the club during his time there. After a brief stint with UAE Pro League club Al-Sharjah starting in July 2025, he returned to Sivasspor on February 3, 2026. Internationally, he has represented Albania across multiple youth levels, including the under-nineteen and under-twenty-one teams, as well as the senior men's national football team.
Personal details
Rey Manaj stands at a height of 182 centimeters. He holds Albanian nationality and was born under the zodiac sign of Pisces. Throughout his career in professional football, he has worn various squad numbers and played in multiple European leagues across Italy, Spain, England, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Birthday and age
Rey Manaj was born on February 24, 1997, which makes Rey 29 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Rey shares the date with 52 other famous people.
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