1. Early life and background
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Nicolás Ladislao Fedor Flores acquired the nickname 'Miku' from the Hungarian equivalent of his first name, `MiklósHungarian`. He was born to a Hungarian father and a Venezuelan mother, reflecting his mixed heritage.
2. Club career
Miku's professional football career began in Spain, where he spent the majority of his time before venturing into other leagues in Europe and Asia.
2.1. Youth and early professional career
Miku joined the youth system of Valencia CF in 2001. Three years later, he turned professional and subsequently went through five consecutive loan spells in both the Spanish second and third divisions.
He was loaned to CD Alcoyano for the 2004-05 season, appearing in 21 matches and scoring five goals. In the 2005-06 season, while on loan at UD Salamanca, he was particularly prolific, netting 18 goals in 36 league appearances, along with two goals in four promotion play-off matches, totaling 20 goals in 41 games. Following this, he had a brief loan at Ciudad de Murcia for the 2006-07 season, playing in eight Segunda División matches. In the same 2006-07 season, he also played 15 matches for Valencia B, scoring one goal. He then spent the 2007-08 season on loan at Gimnàstic de Tarragona, making 29 appearances and scoring two goals in the Segunda División. He returned to Salamanca for the 2008-09 season, once again making a significant impact with 15 goals in 37 league games, and scoring one goal in two Copa del Rey matches, summing up to 16 goals in 39 appearances.
2.2. Valencia CF
After a strong season with UD Salamanca, Miku returned to Valencia CF. On 27 August 2009, he scored a hat-trick in a dominant 4-1 home victory against Stabæk Fotball in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League. Despite this impressive performance, Miku was considered a third or fourth-choice striker and was deemed surplus to requirements at the club.
2.3. Getafe CF
In January 2010, Miku was transferred to Getafe CF, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 away win against RCD Mallorca in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
He started to feature regularly, benefiting from the injury absence of first-choice striker Roberto Soldado. On 28 March 2010, he scored twice in a 3-1 away win against Deportivo de La Coruña. Three rounds later, he netted another brace in a 3-0 home victory over Villarreal CF in La Liga.
For the 2011-12 season, Miku became the primary choice striker, ahead of experienced players like Dani Güiza and Adrián Colunga. He began the season strongly, scoring three goals in his first two league matches against Levante UD (a 1-1 home draw) and Real Madrid CF (a 4-2 away loss). He finished that campaign as the team's top scorer with 12 goals.
2.4. Celtic FC
On 31 August 2012, the final day of the summer transfer window, Miku moved to Celtic on a loan deal. During the 2012-13 season, he made 14 competitive appearances. A notable highlight of his time at Celtic Park was playing the full 90 minutes in Celtic's historic 2-1 victory over FC Barcelona in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Despite this, he later expressed regret to Venezuelan media about his decision to join the Scottish club due to limited playing time.
2.5. Al-Gharafa SC
Miku moved to Qatar Stars League side Al-Gharafa SC on 30 September 2013 for an an undisclosed fee. In his debut campaign, he scored five goals in 15 appearances, as his team finished ninth out of 14 in the league. He continued with Al-Gharafa for the 2014-15 season, scoring one goal in ten league matches.
2.6. Rayo Vallecano
Miku returned to Spain on 2 February 2015, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with Rayo Vallecano. On 12 February 2016, he achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Venezuelan player to score in four consecutive Spanish top-flight matches, contributing to a 2-2 away draw against Sporting de Gijón. For this achievement, he was named La Liga Player of the Month for February 2016. He continued to be a key player for Rayo Vallecano, scoring nine goals in 22 league appearances during the 2015-16 season.
2.7. Bengaluru FC
In August 2017, 32-year-old Miku signed a two-year contract with Indian Super League franchise Bengaluru FC. He scored his first goal for the club on 26 November in a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Delhi Dynamos FC. Throughout his first season, he registered three braces against FC Goa (a 4-3 away defeat), FC Pune City (a 3-1 away win), and Kerala Blasters FC (a 3-1 away win). In the 2018-19 campaign, Miku played a crucial role in Bengaluru FC's success, as they won the Indian Super League title by defeating FC Goa 1-0 in the final after extra time. He also helped the team win the Indian Super Cup in 2018.
2.8. Later career
On 20 August 2019, Miku signed a one-year deal with Cypriot First Division club AC Omonia. He made nine league appearances and scored three goals in the Cypriot Cup.
He returned to Spain on 25 September 2020, joining Deportivo La Coruña, who had recently been relegated to the third tier. In the 2021-22 season, Miku was a key scorer for Deportivo, bagging 12 goals in the new Primera Federación. However, the team missed out on promotion after a 2-1 home loss to Albacete Balompié in the play-off final.
After not being offered a new contract by Deportivo, he subsequently joined Real Murcia CF in the same league on 5 August 2022. On 3 February 2023, he transferred to CF Intercity. His debut for Intercity against Real Unión was brief, as he was taken off within two minutes due to facial injuries.
Miku continued his career in the Spanish third division for the 2023-24 season with CD Arenteiro. In January 2024, after two decades away, the 38-year-old returned to Venezuela to join Primera División side Academia Puerto Cabello, seeking to play in the Copa Libertadores.
3. International career
Miku made his debut for the Venezuela national football team on 16 August 2006, in a 0-0 friendly match against Honduras. He became an important figure in the squads that competed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. On 31 March 2009, he scored in a 2-0 home victory against Colombia. On 9 September 2009, Miku netted two goals in a 3-1 home win over Peru, a result that brought Venezuela closer to its first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification, though they ultimately did not qualify.
He represented Venezuela at the 2011 Copa América, scoring in a 3-3 draw against Paraguay, which helped his team secure second place in their group. Venezuela eventually achieved a respectable fourth-place finish in the tournament.
Four years later, at the 2015 Copa América in Chile, Miku scored an 84th-minute goal in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil. A win would have advanced Venezuela, but instead, they were eliminated, finishing last in their group.
Later that year, Miku was among 15 national players who threatened to quit the team. This was in response to accusations from the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation, Laureano González, who alleged that the players were conspiring to have the national team manager, Noel Sanvicente, sacked. This incident highlighted internal disputes within Venezuelan football.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Alcoyano (loan) | 2004-05 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 21 | 5 | |
| Salamanca (loan) | 2005-06 | 36 | 18 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 41 | 20 | |
| Ciudad Murcia (loan) | 2006-07 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | |
| Valencia B | 2006-07 | 15 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 | 1 | |
| Gimnàstic (loan) | 2007-08 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 30 | 2 | |
| Salamanca (loan) | 2008-09 | 37 | 15 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 39 | 16 | |
| Valencia | 2009-10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 7 | 3 | |
| Getafe | 2009-10 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 20 | 6 | |
| 2010-11 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | - | - | 41 | 8 | ||
| 2011-12 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 40 | 12 | ||
| 2012-13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 2 | ||
| Total | 92 | 26 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | - | - | 108 | 28 | ||
| Celtic (loan) | 2012-13 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 2 | |
| Al-Gharafa | 2013-14 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 15 | 5 | |
| 2014-15 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 25 | 6 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 2014-15 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 7 | 2 | |
| 2015-16 | 22 | 9 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 24 | 9 | ||
| 2016-17 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 15 | 2 | ||
| Total | 43 | 13 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 46 | 13 | ||
| Bengaluru | 2017-18 | 20 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 26 | 20 | |
| 2018-19 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 5 | ||
| Total | 32 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 25 | ||
| Omonia | 2019-20 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 3 | |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2020-21 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 3 | |
| Career total | 360 | 111 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 406 | 127 | ||
Note: "Other" column includes appearances in Promotion Play-offs. Continental appearances refer to UEFA Europa League or AFC Champions League.
4.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 2006 | 3 | 0 |
| 2007 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 14 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 51 | 11 | |
Note: The 2007 appearances include one non-FIFA match.
Scores and results list Venezuela's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Miku goal.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 March 2007 | José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela | New Zealand | 4-0 | 5-0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 27 August 2007 | Antonio Oddone Sarubbi, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay | Paraguay | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 3 March 2009 | Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela | Colombia | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 9 September 2009 | José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela | Peru | 1-0 | 3-1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 2-1 | |||||
| 6 | 8 September 2010 | Metropolitano de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela | Ecuador | 1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 25 March 2011 | Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Jamaica | 1-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 1 June 2011 | Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala | Guatemala | 1-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 13 July 2011 | Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta, Argentina | Paraguay | 2-3 | 3-3 | 2011 Copa América |
| 10 | 15 August 2012 | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan | Japan | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 22 June 2015 | Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile | Brazil | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2015 Copa América |
5. Honours and individual achievements
Miku has achieved several team titles and individual accolades throughout his professional career.
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2012-13
- Scottish Cup: 2012-13
Bengaluru FC
- Indian Super League: 2018-19
- Indian Super Cup: 2018
Individual
- La Liga Player of the Month: February 2016