| Péter Kovács | |
| Height: | 1.98 m |
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1978 |
| Birth Place: | Salgótarján, Hungary |
| Position: | Forward |
| Youthyears1: | –1995 |
| Youthclubs1: | Salgótarjáni |
| Years1: | 1995–1998 |
| Caps1: | 4 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Clubs1: | Újpest |
| Years2: | 1997–1998 |
| Caps2: | ? |
| Goals2: | ? |
| Clubs2: | → La Neuveville-Lamboing (loan) |
| Years3: | 1998 |
| Caps3: | ? |
| Goals3: | ? |
| Clubs3: | → Érd (loan) |
| Years4: | 1999 |
| Caps4: | 28 |
| Goals4: | 10 |
| Clubs4: | Lahti |
| Years5: | 1999–2002 |
| Caps5: | 64 |
| Goals5: | 21 |
| Clubs5: | Haka |
| Years6: | 2002–2004 |
| Caps6: | 46 |
| Goals6: | 24 |
| Clubs6: | Tromsø |
| Years7: | 2004–2006 |
| Caps7: | 29 |
| Goals7: | 8 |
| Clubs7: | Viking |
| Years8: | 2006–2008 |
| Caps8: | 41 |
| Goals8: | 17 |
| Clubs8: | Strømsgodset |
| Years9: | 2008–2010 |
| Caps9: | 80 |
| Goals9: | 45 |
| Clubs9: | Odd |
| Years10: | 2010–2011 |
| Caps10: | 36 |
| Goals10: | 5 |
| Clubs10: | Lierse |
| Years11: | 2012–2015 |
| Caps11: | 87 |
| Goals11: | 32 |
| Clubs11: | Strømsgodset |
| Years12: | 2015 |
| Caps12: | 10 |
| Goals12: | 1 |
| Clubs12: | Sarpsborg 08 |
| Years13: | 2016–2017 |
| Caps13: | 28 |
| Goals13: | 8 |
| Clubs13: | Sandefjord |
| Years14: | 2017 |
| Caps14: | 9 |
| Goals14: | 1 |
| Clubs14: | Arendal |
| Years15: | 2018–2019 |
| Caps15: | 8 |
| Goals15: | 5 |
| Clubs15: | Stoppen |
| Years16: | 2019 |
| Caps16: | 9 |
| Goals16: | 5 |
| Clubs16: | Re |
| Totalcaps: | 496 |
| Totalgoals: | 185 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2004–2005 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 10 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalteam1: | Hungary |
Péter Kovács (born 7 February 1978) is a Hungarian former professional footballer played as a forward for Újpest and Érd in Hungary, for La Neuveville-Lamboing in Switzerland,[1] for Lahti and Haka in Finland, for Tromsø, Viking, Strømsgodset, Odd Grenland, Sarpsborg 08, Sandefjord and Arendal in Norway, and for Lierse in Belgium.
Kovács was born in Salgótarján, Hungary. When playing for FC Haka he scored a goal against Liverpool in the 2001–02 Champions League qualifyings. Kovács gained notoriety in August 2009, when in the quarter-finals of the Norwegian Cup, he scored a goal against SK Brann after Brann's keeper fell to the ground with an injured knee while trying to clear the ball upfield following a home pass.[2] He also came one goal short of being joint top scorer in the 2009 Norwegian premier league, finishing behind Rade Prica.
He became the top scorer in the 2012 Norwegian premier league, and won the league with Strømsgodset in 2013, during his second spell at the club. On 21 July 2015, he signed a five-month deal with for Sarpsborg 08 on a free transfer.[3] On 10 November 2015, he signed a one-year deal with newly relegated Sandefjord in the Norwegian First Division.[4]
Kovács has a relationship with Norwegian female footballer, Melissa Wiik.[5]
He speaks Hungarian, English and Norwegian fluently.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Újpest FC | 1995–96 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1996–97 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| FC Lahti | 1999 | Veikkausliiga | 28 | 10 | 28 | 10 | |||
| FC Haka | 2000 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 8 | 26 | 8 | |||
| 2001 | 29 | 7 | 29 | 7 | |||||
| 2002 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 64 | 21 | 64 | 21 | |||||
| Tromsø | 2002 | Adeccoligaen | 14 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 14 | |
| 2003 | Tippeligaen | 24 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 13 | ||
| 2004 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 5 | |||
| Total | 46 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 56 | 32 | |||
| Viking | 2004 | Tippeligaen | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2005 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | |||
| 2006 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |||
| Total | 29 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 8 | |||
| Strømsgodset | 2006 | Adeccoligaen | 18 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 12 | |
| 2007 | Tippeligaen | 23 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 10 | ||
| Total | 41 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 45 | 22 | |||
| Odd Grenland | 2008 | Adeccoligaen | 29 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 29 | |
| 2009 | Tippeligaen | 29 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 21 | ||
| 2010 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 12 | |||
| Total | 80 | 45 | 12 | 17 | 92 | 62 | |||
| Lierse | 2010–11 | Belgian Pro League | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 | |
| 2011–12 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |||
| Total | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |||
| Strømsgodset | 2012 | Tippeligaen | 28 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 33 | 22 | |
| 2013 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 8 | |||
| 2014 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 15 | |||
| 2015 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 4 | |||
| Total | 87 | 32 | 13 | 17 | 100 | 49 | |||
| Sarpsborg 08 | 2015 | Tippeligaen | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Sandefjord | 2016 | OBOS-ligaen | 26 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 31 | 10 | |
| 2017 | Eliteserien | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 10 | |||
| Arendal | 2017 | OBOS-ligaen | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Career Total | 478 | 174 | 48 | 49 | 526 | 223 | |||
Score and result list Hungary's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Kovács goal.
FC Haka
Strømsgodset
Individual