Let's chew the fat about Mr. Nedim Bajrami, a Macedonian-born footballer, walking the earth since the 28th of February, 1999, and still making midfield magic at the ripe age of 26. Even though he's vertically endowed to 5ft 10in (1.79m) and tipping the scales at around 10st 9lb (68kg), it's still a mystery how manages to be seen wearing jersey number 14 in the melee of a Rangers game.
The lad hasn’t contented himself with club football by the way, waving the Albanian national team's flag when they're up for picking a friendly tussle. According to those who gauge people's worth in currency at Transfermarkt, Nedim's current market value is a cool £3.8m. Scraping by, one might jest, especially considering the high standards of the game.
Bajrami kick-started his footballing journey with the Grasshoppers, the cute insects of Switzerland’s Super League. After earning his stripes in the academy, he trotted on to the pitch for the first team, racking up quite an impressive tally of appearances and a few goals. However, one must wonder if anyone in Switzerland noticed his departure for Italian shores owing to the sumptuous sum of £430k. Chump change for some, no doubt.
He was shipped off to Empoli in Serie A, a club with ambition larger than resources, you might think, considering his performance. 120 appearances, 17 goals. Not a bad deal, actually, especially when it led him to hop on to Sassuolo in Serie B, albeit initially on loan, before the club shelled out £5.2m, to keep him. He was there for a bit, added a few more goals, but then Rangers came calling. I guess Bajrami thought it was time for another change in scenery. And why not, especially when £3.5m is involved. Money talks, everybody walks, right?
For the current season, Bajrami's racking up appearances like weekend grocery trips, scoring every now and then, not to mention the strides he's made in the Scottish Cup and League Cup. He’s also been a regular feature for Albania in the Euro and the Nations League. Not too bad for a bloke who's yet to hit 30!
