Players - Ragnar Klavan

Ragnar Klavan
Birthdate: 30 October 1985
Birthplace: Viljandi, Estonia
Other clubs: Elva (2001-02), Viljandi (2003), Flora (2003-05), Valerenga (loan 2004-05), Heracles Almelo (2005-09), AZ Alkmaar (2009-12), Augsburg (2012-16), Cagliari (2018-21), Paide Linnameeskond (2021-23), JK Tallinna Kalev (2023-)
Signed from: Augsburg
Signed for LFC: £4.2m, 20.07.2016
International debut: 03.07.2003 vs Lithuania
International caps: 124/2 (8/0 at LFC) - 09.09.2019
Liverpool debut: 14.08.2016
Last appearance: 02.05.2018
Debut goal: 20.09.2016
Last goal: 01.01.2018
Contract expiry: 17.08.2018
Win ratio: 58.49% W:31 D:15 L:7
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 2 / 0
League games / goals / assists: 39 / 1 / 0
Total games / goals / assists: 53 / 2 / 0

Player Profile

Estonia's national team captain Ragnar Klavan was 30 years old when he joined Liverpool from Augsburg in the summer of 2016, signed by Jurgen Klopp to provide defensive cover after the departure of Martin Skrtel. He broke into his local side Viljandi at the age of 16 in 2002 and the following year joined Flora Tallinn, where he won the Estonian title.

After a brief loan spell with Norwegians Valerenga he joined Eredivise side Heracles Almelo in 2005 and moved four years later to AZ Alkmaar, where he won the Dutch title playing for Steve McClaren. Klavan moved to the Bundesliga to play for Augsburg in 2012 and played both legs of the Europa Cup tie between them and Liverpool in February 2016. His first appearance in a Reds shirt was against Chelsea in a friendly in Los Angeles on 27th July 2016, but it was anything but that when he was the subject of a two footed challenge by Cesc Fabregas but escaped  injury.

After impressing in pre season he took advantage of an injury to Joel Matip and was picked in the starting eleven for the opening league game away to Arsenal. Throughout the season Matip and Dejan Lovren was the first choice centre back pairing, but Klavan was dependable on the occasions he was called upon, putting in a fine performance at Goodison Park in December when Sadio Mane's late goal gave Liverpool a 1--0 win. Klavan made fifteen Premier League starts and also scored at Derby in the League Cup.

In 2017/18 Klavan remained a capable deputy when needed and on New Years Day became the first Estonian to score in the Premier League when he netted an injury time winner at Burnley. He made only twenty league appearances, some of them as a late substitute as the Reds protected a lead, and was surplus to requirements as Liverpool prepared for the 2018/19 season. Klavan moved to Cagliari in Seria A after Liverpool accepted a £2m offer for the defender. Problems with his Achilles tendon restricted him to fifteen appearances in his first season in Italy, but when fit he was a guaranteed starting place in the side and he went on to play 31 times in Serie A during 2019/20. The following season saw him have a prolonged absence due to Covid and he featured fifteen times before returning to Estonia and joining Paide Linnameeskond, winning the cup with them in 2022. 

In May 2023 Klavan delighted Reds fans when he was seen to be reading out the Estonian scores for Eurovision, which was being hosted by Liverpool. That summer, at the age of 37 he joined JK Tallinna Kalev as a player, the club which he was president of. 

Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 39 1 5 8 0 53
2016-2017 20 1 4 0 0 25
2017-2018 19 0 1 8 0 28
2018-2019 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
5 278 Manchester City
4 360 Burnley
4 270 Everton
3 270 Arsenal
3 270 Stoke City
3 187 Bournemouth
2 180 Swansea City
2 180 WBA
2 180 Southampton
2 134 West Ham United
2 98 Tottenham
2 91 Leicester City
2 90 Crystal Palace
2 7 Roma
1 90 Spartak Moscow
1 90 Sevilla
1 90 NK Maribor
1 90 Wolves
1 90 Chelsea
1 90 Hull City
1 90 Middlesbrough
1 90 Derby
1 90 Sunderland
1 90 Huddersfield Town
1 90 Manchester United
1 90 Leeds United
1 10 Porto
1 3 Watford
1 2 Hoffenheim
Total Started/substitutions
40 Started
34 On the bench
13 Substitute
0 Substituted
Total Venue
30 Home
23 Away
Total Competition
39 Premier League
8 Champions League
5 League Cup
1 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
53 31 15 7 58.5% Jürgen Klopp
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 1 0 1 0 0 2
2016-2017 0 0 1 0 0 1
2017-2018 1 0 0 0 0 1
2018-2019 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Opponent
1 Derby
1 Burnley
Total Started/substitutions
2 Started
0 Substitute
Total Competition
1 League Cup
1 Premier League
Total Goal minute period
1 16-30 minutes
1 76-90 minutes
Total Goal origin
2 Open play
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 14.08.2016 Arsenal Emirates Stadium League
50 21.04.2018 WBA The Hawthorns League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 24 20.09.2016 Derby Pride Park League Cup
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
JK Viljandi 2002-2003 Estonia 1 18 0 18 0
JK Viljandi 2003-2004 Estonia 1 10 2 10 2
Flora Tallinn 2003-2004 Estonia 1 12 1 12 1
Flora Tallinn 2004-2005 Estonia 1 16 1 16 1
Vålerenga 2004-2005 Norway 1 2 0 2 0
Heracles Almelo 2005-2006 Holland 1 15 0 17 0
Heracles Almelo 2006-2007 Holland 1 32 1 32 1
Heracles Almelo 2007-2008 Holland 1 29 2 29 2
Heracles Almelo 2008-2009 Holland 1 19 1 19 1
AZ Alkmaar 2008-2009 Holland 1 12 0 14 0
AZ Alkmaar 2009-2010 Holland 1 11 0 13 0
AZ Alkmaar 2010-2011 Holland 1 28 0 39 2
AZ Alkmaar 2011-2012 Holland 1 27 0 39 2
Augsburg 2012-2013 Germany 1 30 0 32 0
Augsburg 2013-2014 Germany 1 30 2 33 2
Augsburg 2014-2015 Germany 1 34 2 35 2
Augsburg 2015-2016 Germany 1 31 0 40 0
Cagliari 2018-2019 Italy 1 15 0 15 0
Cagliari 2019-2020 Italy 1 31 0 33 0
Cagliari 2020-2021 Italy 1 15 0 16 0
Paide Linnameeskond 2020-2021 Estonia 1 10 2 10 2
Paide Linnameeskond 2021-2022 Estonia 1 11 1 17 1
Paide Linnameeskond 2022-2023 Estonia 1 5 0 11 0
Total 443 15 502 19