Ledian Memushaj

Early career

Memushaj started his career as a 17-year-old in Italy for Sarzanese. The club finished second in Eccellenza Liguria in 2006 to gain promotion to Serie D. In summer 2008, he moved to fellow Serie D side Valle d'Aosta where he played 34 games and scored 3 goals. Then on 10 September 2009 he was signed by Paganese in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione after a trail and solved the bureaucratic issue.

Chievo and Portogruaro (loan)

On 21 June 2010, he was signed by Serie A side Chievo Verona on free transfer. He was loaned out to Portogruaro on 29 January 2011. He became the best of his team in their Serie B campaign making an impact to their offensive game and receiving high ratings.

Lecce

He left Carpi and continued again in Italy cause on 27 July 2012, he moved to Serie B side Lecce on a three-year contract. However, before he even kicked a ball for his new club, they were relegated to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione after their subsequent expulsion from the Serie B for their part in the Calcio Scommesse scandal.

Memushaj scored his first goal for Lecce on 3 September 2012 in a 3–2 victory against Cremonese. He scored the 3rd goal of the match for his team in the 31st minute with a kick from out 20-metters. On 23 September 2012, Memushaj scored the third goal in the 1–3 away victory of Lecce against Treviso and with this victory Lecce got ranked in the top of the 2012–13 Lega Pro Prima Divisione League table.

Loan to Carpi

On 27 July 2013 Carpi announced to have signed Memushaj on loan from Lecce for the 2013–14 season of the Serie B. This transfer happened a few after Carpi signed the fellow Albania national team player, Edgar Çani and also it was the second time for Memushaj to sign for Carpi.

He scored his first goal for Carpi after loan on 28 September 2013 in the 0–1 away victory against Reggina in the last moments in the 90'+3 minute. On 26 October 2013 Memushaj scored a goal against Latina from the penalty spot in the start of the second-half, to give his team the 1–1 draw. On 21 December 2013 Memushaj scored from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute, to give his team the minimal 1–0 victory against Palermo. This victory made opponent Palermo to descending from first place in the possession of Empoli. Memushaj seems to have taken his team on his side arm and each week is crucial to the game and his goals. On 26 December 2013 he scored a goal for the next day in the Italian Serie B opening the way for victory Capri in the away match against Virtus Lanciano, when they were found at a disadvantage in the 8th minute, but not delivered and immediately found with Memushaj the equalizer in the 22nd minute, an goal which successed by his team-mates which later recorded two other times, achieving an important victory in the away from home, approaching more and more to the play-off zone to send in Serie A, being only three points away. He started the 2014's year with a goal to continue his excellent form like the first half of the season. He scored in the 20th minute of the first half for the temporary advantage of Capri in the match played at home against Ternana on 25 January 2014, but Capri failed to provide a positive result as the match were being overthrown by Ternana. It was his fifth goal this season and despite this loss, Memushaj team weres only three points away from the play-off zone to promote in Serie A.

On 6 May 2014 Memushaj got injured by torn right knee ligament in match against Pescara and after resonance in Italy, it was decided that he will be operated and was predicted to stay 6 months away from the field of play.

In the 2013–14 season Memushaj played in total 33 Serie B matches in where he scored 8 goals and also in a single match for the 2013–14 Coppa Italia.

Return to Lecce

Carpi didn't accept the request of Lecce to buy Memushaj for a fee of 400.000 € and he returned to Lecce.

Pescara

On 1 September 2014 Memushaj signed for the Serie B club Pescara an 1-year contract.

Due to the injury suffered in May 2014 at Carpi, he missed out first 7 matches of the 2014–15 Serie B. He made it his debut on 12 October 2014 by coming on as a substitute of the 87th minute for Gabriel Appelt Pires in the 8th match week between Crotone and Pescara, which finished in the 1–4 win for his team Pescara. He was an unused substitute for the next week match on 17 October 2014 against Vicenza (1–1), but a week after in the match against his previous team Carpi, Memushaj played as a starter and the match finished as a bad loss with the 0–5 result. A week later Memushaj scored his first goal for Pescara in a 1–1 draw against Bari. On 27 December 2015 Memushaj scored the winning goal in the game against U.S. Latina Calcio, but was subsequently sent off the pitch after having kicked a microphone on the sidelines in connection with his goal celebration.

Benevento

On 28 August 2017 Memushaj signed a new contract with Serie A club Benevento on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season with purchase obligation in the end of loan.

International career

Memushaj was called for the first time to the Albania national team by manager Josip Kuže to face Macedonia in a friendly in November 2010. He made his international debut at Qemal Stafa Stadium, replacing Klodian Duro in the second half as the match ended in a goalless draw. He returned on the team on 9 February 2011 for their next friendly against Slovenia, earning his second cap in the process, again as a substitute, as Albania was defeated 1–2.

In November 2013, after a long abstence, Memushaj returned to the team with De Biasi as their manager for the friendly match against Belarus following the end of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was again used as a substitute in place of Valdet Rama as Albania drew 0–0.

UEFA Euro 2016 campaign

Memushaj missed the first two UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers matches against Portugal and Denmark due to an injury suffered in May 2014 while representing Carpi, an injury which lasted longer for 6 months. He also missed the notorious match against Serbia in October 2014. Soon as he was declared fit, Memushaj was called up for the friendlies against France and Italy in November 2014. He played his first match as a starter against the first as Albania earned a historic 1–1 draw at Roazhon Park. He also featured as starter in Albania's first ever match against Italy, missing an opportunity to score in the first half as Albania slumped into a 1–0 away defeat.

Memushaj continued to be part of Albania in their historic UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. In the final decisive match against Armenia, Memushaj assisted the second goal via a set piece as Albania won 3–0 to secure a spot at UEFA Euro 2016, its first ever appearance at a major men's football tournament. On 21 May 2016, Memushaj was named in Albania's preliminary 27-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, and in Albania's final 23-man UEFA Euro 2016 squad on 31 May.

In the tournament, Memushaj did not play in the Albania's first Group A match against Switzerland which finished in a 0–1. However, he returned to the lineup in the second match against hosts of France, hitting the post before Albania conceded two goals in the last minutes. In the final match against Romania, Memushaj cross met Armando Sadiku's header for the only goal of the match, meaning Albania has won its first match at an major men's football tournament and beating Romania for the first time since 1948. Albania finished the group in the third position with three points and with a goal difference –2, and was ranked last in the third-placed teams, which eventually eliminated them.

Memushaj scored his first international goal on 11 June 2017 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Israel, netting the third in an eventual 3–0 away win.

Personal life

He and his family migrated to Italy in 1997 due to civil war in Albania.

Club

International

International goals