Elton Fikaj

Elton Fikaj was born in Athens and started out at five years old in the academy of Apollon Smirnis, before moving on to the Panathinaikos youth setup, where he stayed until 2023. Although born in Greece and a Greek citizen, he has chosen to represent Albania, working his way up through the youth ranks from the U17s in 2021 to the U19s and, since 2024, the U21 side.

His progress at Panathinaikos followed a similarly steady path. After 18 appearances for the club's B team in the Super League 2 during the 2023–24 season, he signed his first professional contract in July 2023 and made his senior debut in January 2024, against Panetolikos in the Super League. He was registered with the first-team squad that season as Panathinaikos beat Aris 1–0 in the Greek Cup final, a trophy he is credited with winning as a squad member even though he did not feature in the final itself. His contract was renewed the following year, extending his stay at the club to 2028.

That stay ultimately proved shorter than planned. In January 2026, Fikaj left Panathinaikos on a free transfer to join Polish side Piast Gliwice, signing a contract through to June 2028.