Jahmir Hyka

Early career and Norway

Hyka joined local side Dinamo Tirana at the age of 12, where he played for the youth teams for four years, until he made it to the first team at 2004. He was being tracked by a number of European clubs despite never having made a competitive appearance for Dinamo Tirana before joining Norwegian side Rosenborg BK in 2005 on loan. At Rosenborg, Hyka did not manage to break through into the first team, failing to make a single league appearance, only featuring twice as an unused substitute in August and September 2006.

Greece and return to Albania

In 2007, Hyka left Dinamo Tirana to sign with Greek club Olympiacos for a fee of €600,000. At Olympiakos, he found opportunities in the first team limited and so he moved on loan to KF Tirana, the then champions of the 2006–07 Albanian Superliga in time for the 2007–08 season. Back in Tirana, Hyka played 32 games, scoring two goals and his good form did not go unnoticed. Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb showed interest and Hyka was close to a move.

Mainz

In June 2008, Hyka signed a three-year deal with German side Mainz 05.

Panionios

In 2010, after just 13 appearances with the German team, most of them as a substitute, Hyka was once again on the move, this time back to Greece, transferring to Greek team, Panionios, for a €120,000 fee.

Return to Tirana

After a difficult time in Greece, Hyka returned to Albania, re-signing with former side Tirana where he had previously…

On 7 February 2007, Hyka made his debut for Albania in a friendly match against Macedonia. On 20 August 2008, he scored his first goal for Albania against Liechtenstein and his goal came just 46 seconds after the game had begun, making it the quickest goal in Albanian history. Following a two-year absence, he returned to Albania national team under the same coach Gianni De Biasi, receiving a call up for the Friendly match against Morocco on 31 August 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification opening match against Macedonia on 5 September 2016.

A quick, energetic, and agile player, Hyka is capable of playing either as left winger or attacking midfielder. Luzern fans have nicknamed him "the Albanian Messi" due to his short stature, dribbling, and speed. Dominic Kinnear, San Jose's coach at the time of Hyka's signing with the team, praised his skills, saying, "He's really smart on the ball and confident in tight places" and adding that "he has a good first touch." Both Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli and MLS senior analyst Matt Doyle have emphasized Hyka's unpredictability on the field.

Hyka has four siblings, two sisters and two brothers who live in his hometown of Tirana. He practices the faith of Islam, praying five times daily and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, which he has done so since the age of 12. He attends mosque when possible around his football schedule, and at his former club 1. FSV Mainz 05 he would attend with teammate Chadli Amri. He is fluent in Albanian, German, and English. As of 13 March 2018, Hyka possesses a U.S. green card, which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes. In 2023, Hyka married his Albanian wife Enxhi Nallbani, after romantically proposing to her few months earlier in Portofino.