Some goalkeepers arrive fully formed at 20 and spend the next decade defending a reputation. Stole Dimitrievski did it the other way round. He signed for an Italian club as a teenager and never played a competitive minute for them. He rebuilt his career in the Spanish second tier, then spent five years at Rayo Vallecano before Valencia took him on a free in 2024. He's 32 now and turns 33 on Christmas Day. In goalkeeper years that isn't old, and that's why he's still worth paying attention to.
Dimitrievski on one page
| Full name | Stole Dimitrievski |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 December 1993, Kumanovo, North Macedonia |
| Age | 32 (33 on 25 December 2026) |
| Nationality | Macedonian |
| Height and weight | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in), about 81 kg (179 lbs) |
| Position | Goalkeeper, right footed |
| Club | Valencia CF (La Liga), shirt number 1 |
| International | North Macedonia, 80+ caps |
| Valencia contract | Two year deal signed in 2024, running to June 2026, with an option for two more years |
| Estimated net worth | $9 million to $13 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
| Estimated salary | About €1.2 million to €1.7 million a year (reported, unconfirmed) |
Sixteen and already in goal
He came through the youth ranks at FK Kumanovo in his home town, then moved to FK Rabotnicki, one of the better known clubs in the Macedonian league. He made his senior debut there in 2010, at 16. For a goalkeeper that's early. Most keepers spend their late teens carrying the kit and waiting.
Udinese noticed. In January 2012 they paid a reported fee of around €600,000 to bring him to Italy. On paper it was the big move. In practice it was the start of a long detour.
The Udinese years without a game
Udinese never gave him a competitive appearance. He was sent on loan to Cadiz, then to Granada, and he eventually joined Granada on a free transfer. Those years matter less for what happened on the pitch than for where they left him: in Spain, learning the language and the football, and still without a settled first team role.
Tarragona, where it finally clicked
In 2016 he signed for Gimnastic de Tarragona as a free agent. This was the Segunda Division, not glamorous, and it turned out to be the right call. He played regularly, showed he could be trusted every week, and won the Copa Catalunya with the club in 2016/17. It's a regional trophy, but it was the first time his career had real momentum.
Five years in Vallecas
Rayo Vallecano took him on loan in 2018, then made it permanent in January 2019 for about €900,000. That's still the largest fee anyone has paid for him. Over five years at Rayo he helped the club win promotion back to La Liga and became one of the more underrated keepers in Spain. The kind of goalkeeper who keeps a small club in games it has no business staying in.
Malinovskyi, and a nation's first tournament
His international career is the part of his story with real history in it. North Macedonia qualified for Euro 2020, played in 2021, their first ever major tournament. Dimitrievski started all three group games. Against Ukraine he saved a penalty from Ruslan Malinovskyi. The team went out in the group stage, but that save is one of the defining moments of his career, and a small piece of his country's football history.
With more than 80 caps, he's among the most capped players North Macedonia has produced.
Valencia, on a free
When his Rayo contract ran out in summer 2024, he joined Valencia without a fee on a two year deal, with an option for two more. He wears the number 1 shirt. For Valencia, a club that has had to be careful with money, an experienced La Liga keeper for nothing was sensible business.
One point to be honest about: the original deal ran to June 2026, and we haven't been able to confirm whether the option to extend to 2028 was triggered. Treat 2028 as possible rather than certain until Valencia say otherwise.
What he earns, roughly
Goalkeepers almost never earn what strikers do, and Dimitrievski is no exception. His Valencia salary is reported at about €1.2 million to €1.7 million a year, which works out at roughly €23,000 to €33,000 a week. Neither the club nor the player has published an official figure. At Rayo his wage was reportedly lower, around €700,000 a year in his final seasons.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $9 million to $13 million. That's built from more than a decade of wages at Gimnastic, Rayo and Valencia, plus international income with North Macedonia. It's an estimate, not an audited figure. Nobody outside his circle knows what he has saved, spent or invested.
Market value: a number with a ceiling
Depending on which database you check, his market value sits somewhere between €1.1 million and €2.5 million. It peaked during his Rayo years. That modest range says more about age and contract length than ability. Clubs rarely pay big fees for a goalkeeper in his 30s, even a dependable one.
His transfer path, in short:
- FK Rabotnicki to Udinese, January 2012, about €600,000
- Loans to Cadiz and Granada, then a free move to Granada
- Gimnastic de Tarragona, 2016, free
- Rayo Vallecano, loan in 2018, permanent in January 2019 for about €900,000
- Valencia, summer 2024, free
1.88 metres of goalkeeper
He's listed at 1.88 m (about 6 ft 2 in), though a few sources round him up to 1.90 m. He weighs around 81 kg. That's normal for a modern keeper and slightly short of the giants some clubs now prefer. His game leans on reflexes, positioning and a willingness to come off his line for crosses. His distribution is decent rather than a weapon. Fair judgement: a strong shot stopper, not a sweeper keeper.
If you have opinions on who belongs in football's all time conversation, goalkeepers included, you can vote in our best football players of all time poll.
Off the pitch
Dimitrievski keeps his private life private. There's no confirmed public information about a marriage, an engagement or children, and he rarely shares anything personal on social media. We aren't going to fill that gap with guesswork. If he chooses to share news, it'll be his to share.
Three quick answers
Is Stole Dimitrievski too old to keep starting?
Not by goalkeeper standards. Keepers often play at a high level into their mid to late 30s, so at 32 he's arguably in his prime years, fitness permitting.
Did Valencia pay a fee for him?
No. He joined in summer 2024 as a free agent after his Rayo Vallecano contract expired.
Has he won major trophies?
No major league or cup titles. His honours include the Copa Catalunya with Gimnastic in 2016/17, and his biggest achievement is arguably helping North Macedonia reach their first major tournament.
