| Vitālijs Astafjevs | |
| |
| Nationality: | 
|
| Caps (goals): | 167 (17) |
| Rovers apps (gls)1: | 109 (16) |
| Date of birth: | 3 April 1971 |
| Place of birth: | Riga, Latvia |
| Height: | 5ft 10in |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Date joined: | 27 January 2000 |
| Joined from: | Skonto FC |
| Date left: | 2 June 2003 |
| 1 League appearances and goals only. | |
Vitālijs Astafjevs joined Rovers in 2000 from his home town club Skonto FC for a fee of £150,000. During his time at the club he made just under 100 league apperances but left the club in 2003 after deciding another season in Division Three (now League Two) would be detrimental to his international ambitions.
Vitas facing Leyton Orient at the Memorial Stadium
Prior to his time at Rovers, Astafjevs had played for FK Daugava Rīga and Skonto FC in his native Latvia and FK Austria Wien in Austria. Since his time with Rovers, he's played for VfB Admira Wacker Mödling in Austria, FC Rubin Kazan in Russia before returning to FC Skonto in Latvia. After brief spells with Latvian top-flight sides JFK Olimps and Ventspils in 2009, he returned to Skonto in 2010.
He retired from playing at the end of the 2010 Latvian football season and was given the job as Skonto's assistant manager. He ended his career as the most capped player to date in European football, having made 167 appearances for Latvia.
Career stats[]
| Season | Club | League | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||
| 1991 | Daugava Riga | ? | ? |
| 1992 | Skonto Riga | 21 | 0 |
| 1993 | Skonto Riga | 11 | 5 |
| 1994 | Skonto Riga | 21 | 7 |
| 1995 | Skonto Riga | 28 | 19 |
| 1996 | Skonto Riga | 18 | 12 |
| 1996–97 | Austria Vienna | 26 | 1 |
| 1997 | Skonto Riga | 14 | 1 |
| 1998 | Skonto Riga | 23 | 7 |
| 1999 | Skonto Riga | 18 | 9 |
| 1999–00 | Bristol Rovers | 16 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Bristol Rovers | 41 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Bristol Rovers | 19 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Bristol Rovers | 33 | 8 |
| 2003–04 | Admira Wacker Moedling | 28 | 2 |
| 2004 | Rubin Kazan | 8 | 2 |
| 2005 | Rubin Kazan | 22 | 2 |
| 2006 | Skonto Riga | 22 | 4 |
| 2007 | Skonto Riga | 24 | 7 |
| 2008 | Skonto Riga | 19 | 1 |
| 2009 | JFK Olimps | 14 | 1 |
| 2009 | Ventspils | 5 | 2 |
| 2010 | Skonto Riga | 14 | 2 |
Record against Rovers[]
Astafjevs never played against Bristol Rovers during his footballing career.