Alban Bushi

Alban Bushi (born 20 August 1973 in Tirana) is an Albanian former footballer who played as a striker. Bushi during his 19-year career has played with 12 different clubs in 6 different countries.
He was also part of Albania national team for 12 year, recording 65 appearances and 14 goals. He is nicknamed "Loku".

Bushi has enjoyed a long playing career which has seen him play for 12 different clubs in 6 different countries. He started off his career in Albania with Tirana. He then moved to Hungary with Szegedi. Germany was his next destination in 1994 with FC Remscheid. He then returned to Albania with Tirana, Flamurtari Vlorë and Tirana again. He then moved to Greece with Apollon Smyrni before heading off to Bulgaria to join Litex Lovech, where he became the first foreigner to captain the team.

After his spell in Bulgaria he moved to Turkey to play for Adanaspor, Istanbulspor and Trabzonspor before returning to Istanbulspor. After many years playing abroad Bushi returned to Albania with Partizani Tirana. He then went off to Greece again, this time to join AE Levadiakos. After this he played for Apollon Kalamarias. In 2008 he went back to Greece to play for AE Levadiakos.

Return to Albania

After a long 13-year absence from Albania, Bushi returned to the club where his career began and where he last played in 1997, he signed for Tirana on 31 August 2010 and was presented to the media alongside fellow veteran Devi Muka. Although having offers from foreign teams once again, he felt that he had the moral debt to Tirana to end his career where he started it, a decision that earnt Bushi the Swan d'Or from the Albanian Football Association in recognition of his service to Albanian football.

His first game in Albania for over 13 years came on 3 October 2010 in an away game against Skënderbeu Korçë, he came on as a substitute for Pero Pejic in the 65th minute in a game which ended in a 2–1 loss for Bushi's side. He played his first match as a starter on 31 October in the match against Teuta Durrës, contributing in a 2–0 home win.

On 23 November, he officially announced his retired from football at the age of 37. He finished his final spell with Tirana by playing five league matches, three of them as a starter, failing to score.

Bushi is a former Albania's all-time top scorer with 14 goals until Erjon Bogdani with his goal against France in 2011 became the new record holder with 15. He made 67 appearances Albania, the fourth highest in the team's history behind Foto Strakosha, Altin Lala, and Igli Tare.

Bushi scored on his international debut for Albania on 16 August 1995 against Malta at Ta' Qali National Stadium, netting the temporary equalizer in the 72th minute in an eventual 1–2 loss. He made his competitive debut on 15 November in the match against Wales for the qualifiers of the UEFA Euro 1996, entering as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 home draw.