Patryk Klimala, born on the 5th of August 1998, is a forward who currently plays as a striker for Sydney FC. Upon his birth in Poland, few could have predicted his rise to professional football. He stands 6ft (1.83m) and weighs 11st 13lb (76kg) and is easily recognisable on the pitch in his number 9 jersey.
In July 2016, Klimala began his professional career officially when he joined Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of Polish football. His debut season saw him making three first-team appearances. However, the seasons 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 saw a marked improvement with Klimala making 22 and 17 first-team appearances respectively. He also scored a total of eight goals during this period.
Season 2017-2018 saw Klimala on a loan stint at Wigry Suwalki in the III Liga in Poland. Where here, he made a considerable impact with 27 first-team appearances, coupled with an impressive haul of 13 goals.
Upon the completion of his loan at Wigry Suwalki, Klimala returned to Jagiellonia Bialystok. Maintaining his previous form, he made several additional appearances for his home club and improved his tally of goals.
In January 2020, Scotland called. Klimala transferred to Celtic in the Premiership for a fee of around £3.5m. His time at Celtic, although short, was significant and saw him make 19 first-team appearances in league matches and score three goals in total before his departure in April 2021.
Following his Scottish journey, Klimala switched continents, transferring to New York Red Bulls in the MLS in the USA. His two seasons there saw him make 57 first-team appearances and score a respectable 13 goals.
January 2023 saw yet another transfer for Klimala as he moved from New York Red Bulls to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Premier League in Israel. Klimala's period at Hapoel Be'er Sheva was comparatively short, playing for the club for just over a year before transferring to Slask Wroclaw in the Ekstraklasa in his home country, Poland.
In September 2024, Klimala moved leagues again, travelling to Australia to play for Sydney FC in the A-League on a loan. Still plying his trade Down Under, Klimala has, to date in the current 2024 - 2025 season, made 15 first team appearances and added seven goals. The varied career of Klimala, a striker who has played for teams all over the world, is undoubtedly impressive and it will be exciting to see what the future holds for him.
