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Jonny Evans

Selasa, 29 Maret 2011.
Full name Jonathan Grant Evans
Date of birth 2 January 1988 (1988-01-02) (age 23)
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) [1]
Playing position Centre back

Jonathan Grant "Jonny" Evans (born 2 January 1988) is a Northern Irish football centre back who currently plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. Evans was born in Belfast and started his career at Greenisland FC, where he was spotted by Manchester United scouts. He progressed through Manchester United's football Academy to play in several foreign tours in the summer of 2006. He then went on loan to Royal Antwerp and had two spells with Sunderland. He made his Manchester United first team debut in the 2007–08 League Cup, becoming a regular first-team squad member the following season.

Career

Evans was scouted while playing for Greenisland FC, the same club that his brother, Corry, and Craig Cathcart played for before moving to Manchester United.[2][3] At the age of nine, he was invited to attend the Manchester United Centre of Excellence in Belfast, before being invited for a trial in Manchester a year later. Rule changes within The Football Association at the time meant that clubs were limited to players who lived within an hour and a half of the club, so Evans' opportunities were limited. However, the Evans family soon relocated to Manchester, allowing Jonny to train with Manchester United full-time. Evans progressed through Manchester United's Academy, featuring in two of the club's three games during the 2006 summer tour of South Africa, as well as domestic friendlies against Celtic and Preston North End. Evans also made a surprise appearance in the Amsterdam Tournament against Ajax. Evans spent the first half of the 2006–07 season on loan at Manchester United's Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp, alongside fellow youngsters Darron Gibson, Danny Simpson and Fraizer Campbell.

Sunderland loans

In December 2006, Evans agreed to join Sunderland on loan until the end of the 2006–07 season,[4] with Manchester United and Antwerp team-mate Danny Simpson joining on a similar deal in the January transfer window. The pair helped Sunderland clinch the Football League Championship title, with Evans winning the club's "Youth Player of the Year" award at the end of the season. Although manager Roy Keane was hopeful of re-signing Evans on loan following promotion to the Premier League, it was confirmed in June 2007 that Evans would be staying at Manchester United to push for a place in the first team.[5]
On 4 January 2008, Evans rejoined Sunderland on loan for the second time, and was immediately drafted into the first team squad.[6] Evans played the 90 minutes in his first game, losing 3–0 to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup. Evans was criticised for granting Wigan the second goal of the game, for which he lost the ball on the edge of his own box, resulting in a deflected own goal by Paul McShane.[7] His half-season with Sunderland was generally successful, however, and the team avoided relegation.

Manchester United

Evans made his Manchester United debut on 26 September 2007 against Coventry City in the Football League Cup. Unfortunately, his debut ended in a 2–0 defeat. He then appeared as a late substitute for Gerard Piqué in a UEFA Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kyiv on 7 November 2007 to secure Manchester United's qualification to the knockout stage of the competition. He subsequently made his first Champions League start on 12 December 2007 against Roma.
Evans made his league debut for United against Chelsea on 21 September 2008, filling in for Nemanja Vidić who was unavailable due to suspension. The game ended 1–1.[8] In December 2008, Evans made two substitute appearances for Manchester United at the FIFA Club World Cup, including one in the final after Nemanja Vidić was sent off shortly after half time. Evans continued to deputise throughout the rest of the season, appearing in a number of league games and in the League Cup final.
At the beginning of the 2010–11 football season Evans became a regular fixture in the United team, partnering Nemanja Vidić in the centre of defence in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.

International

Despite having not yet made his senior debut for Manchester United, Evans was called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the first time in September 2006, making his debut in the memorable 3–2 victory over Spain. Evans has since retained his place in the squad

Personal life

Evans' younger brother, Corry, is a Manchester United Academy midfielder.
Evans attended Belfast High School in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, before moving to Ashton-on-Mersey High School in Manchester once he had been signed by Manchester United. He holds nine GCSEs, all A* or A grades.[10]
On 19 December 2007, Evans was arrested in connection to an alleged rape that occurred at the hotel where Manchester United's Christmas party was held.[11] On 8 March 2008, it was reported that Evans would not be prosecuted for any offence

Honours

Club

Sunderland
Manchester United
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    Raúl Albiol

    Full name Raúl Albiol Tortajada
    Date of birth 4 September 1985 (1985-09-04) (age 25)
    Place of birth Vilamarxant, Spain
    Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 12 in)
    Playing position Centre back

    Raúl Albiol Tortajada (Spanish pronunciation: [ra'ul al'bjol toɾta'xaða]; born 4 September 1985 in Vilamarxant, Valencia) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.
    His main asset is his versatility, as he can play as a central defender, right back or defensive midfielder

    Club career

    Valencia

    Albiol's father Miguel was a famous player for modest Benidorm CF. Whilst he had contacts at Benidorm, Raúl joined the club's under-9 side. He impressed during a friendly against Valencia CF's youth teams, and was signed on trial with the local La Liga side moving permanently. He made his first team debut on 24 September 2003, at 18 years and four days, in a UEFA Cup first-round contest against AIK Fotboll, but spent the first year still registered with the B side.
    In August 2004, whilst on route to sign a deal to join Getafe CF on loan, Albiol was involved in a serious car accident, being put in intensive care.[1] He managed to recover completely and, after reappearing in January, played a very important part in the Madrid side surviving the relegation scrap: he made his top flight debut on 15 January 2005, in a 1–1 home draw with Atlético de Madrid, he scored against another side from the capital, Real Madrid, in a 2–1 home triumph, two months later.

    Albiol then returned the following season to Valencia, and quickly established himself as first-choice due to his versatility. In the opening game of the 2006–07's league campaign, he scored the winner (his only goal of the season) against Real Betis, as the game finished 2–1. He also scored from long distance against Olympiacos FC on 12 September 2006, in that year's UEFA Champions League, which Valencia won 4–2 away.[2] During his four-season spell with the first team, his smallest output consisted of 29 matches, and he helped the Che to the 2007–08 Copa del Rey.

    Real Madrid

    On 25 June 2009, Albiol joined Real Madrid, for a fee thought to be in the region of 15 million,[3] becoming the first Spanish player signed by Florentino Pérez upon his return to the presidency. On 2 July, he was officially presented at the Santiago Bernabéu, receiving the #18 jersey from Rubén de la Red, who was absent for the season with unresolved heart problems.[4]
    Albiol scored his first goal for the Merengues on 8 December, in a 3–1 Champions League win at Olympique de Marseille. During the league campaign he was an undisputed starter for Real, mainly due to Pepe's serious knee injury.

    In 2010–11, Albiol was relegated to the bench as Real Madrid brought in another player for his position, Ricardo Carvalho (a compatriot of newly-appointed manager José Mourinho), only appearing in the league through injury or suspension to teammates (Pepe again missed several matches due to physical problems). He did start, however, in the club's domestic cup campaign, helping Real to reach the final. On 26 January 2011, in the semi-final first leg against Sevilla FC (1–0 away win), he cleared a Luís Fabiano shot just before it crossed the goal line.

    International career

    After having represented Spain's U-21, Albiol first appeared for the main squad on 13 October 2007, in an UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark (3–1 away win).
    In the competition's final stages, he appeared twice for the eventual continental champions, against Sweden (subbing in for the injured Carles Puyol) and Greece.
    New national team coach Vicente Del Bosque included Albiol in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. He started in Spain's first game, partnering Puyol in central defence ahead of Valencia teammate Carlos Marchena, helping defeat New Zealand 5–0. He was also picked for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but did not leave the bench for the eventual World champions, after having suffered an injury in training.

    Honours

    Club

    Country

    Individual

    Personal

    • Albiol and his wife Alicia have two daughters, Azahara (born 16 March 2009) and Alma (7 January 2010).[6]
    • His older brother, Miguel, is also a footballer. A midfielder, he was also groomed at Valencia, playing one league match with the first team, but mainly represented Rayo Vallecano.
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      Libor Kozák

      Full name Libor Kozák
      Date of birth 30 May 1989 (1989-05-30) (age 21)
      Place of birth Brumovice u Opavy, Czechoslovakia
      Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
      Playing position Forward

      Libor Kozák (born 30 May 1989 in Brumovice (u Opavy), Czech Republic, at that time Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional football player, who is a forward who plays for Italian Serie A club Lazio.

      Career

      SFC Opava

      Kozák started his career in 2001 with Czech club Slezský FC Opava, first playing with its youth teams before being promoted to the first team in 2007. Considered a promising talent, Kozák was a prolific goalscorer in the Czech Second Division with Opava.
      In January 2008, Kozák went on trial with English Premier League club Portsmouth, however he did not join Pompey.[1] At the end of the season, Italian giants Lazio came calling and Kozák accepted a move to Rome.

      Lazio

      Kozák joined Lazio in July 2008, signing a five-year contract, with rumours that Lazio club president Claudio Lotito paid a 1.2 million euro (1.8 million dollars) transfer fee.[2]
      Kozák made his long-awaited Serie A debut on 2 May 2009, coming on as a substitute for Mauro Zárate in the 84th minute against Inter at the San Siro. Lazio lost the match 0–2.
      After a season at Lazio, the club loaned him to Serie B side Brescia for the 2009–10 season, to gain experience and regular playing time. On 26 September 2009, Kozák scored his first goal in Italy against Grosseto.[3]
      At the end of his loan spell, he returned back to Lazio. He scored his first goal for the Biancocelesti on 18 September 2010, scoring the winner against Fiorentina. He went on to score the winner against Sampdoria on January 16, 2011. Two weeks later he registered his third and fourth goals for Lazio, against Fiorentina once again. He later won the attraction of Michal Bílek, manager of Czech Republic, as the latter made a special trip to Stadio Olimpico to watch his game against Bari

      International career

      Kozák is member of the Czech under-21 team.
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      Sami Khedira

      Full name Sami Khedira
      Date of birth 4 April 1987 (1987-04-04) (age 23)
      Place of birth Stuttgart, West Germany
      Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
      Playing position Midfielder

      Sami Khedira (German pronunciation: [ˈsami kəˈdiːʁa]; Arabic: سامي خضيرة‎; born 4 April 1987) is a German football player currently playing for Real Madrid and the German national team. He is considered a dynamic midfielder with 'flawless aerial ability' who can cover a lot of ground and quickly join in the team attacks with his powerful mid-range shooting.

      Club career

      VfB Stuttgart

      Khedira was born in Stuttgart, to a Tunisian father and a German mother. Before joining the youth team of VfB Stuttgart in 1995, he played at TV Oeffingen. In the first months of the 2006–07 season, he was called up into VfB's Bundesliga squad by manager Armin Veh. His debut followed on 1 October 2006 against Hertha BSC. He scored his first two goals on 29 October in a game against Schalke 04. On 29 January 2007 he signed his first professional contract at VfB, valid until June 2009.[2]
      On 9 July 2008 he extended his contract until the summer of 2011.[3]

      Real Madrid

      On 30 July 2010 Khedira moved to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee.[4][5] Khedira plays in the number "24" jersey. Khedira made his debut for Real Madrid on 13 August 2010 in a friendly match against Bayern Munich, which Real Madrid won 4–2 in penalties. This resulted in Real Madrid winning the Franz-Beckenbauer-Cup. His league debut came on 29 August, in a 0–0 draw against Mallorca

      International career

      Khedira, who usually plays in midfield, has appeared 30 times in several German youth national teams, he captained the side during the 2009 European Under-21 Championship, which Germany won.
      Khedira made his debut for the senior national squad on 5 September 2009 in a friendly match against South Africa. He was substituted on in the 73rd minute for Simon Rolfes.
      He was called up to the Germany squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and started in their opening game against Australia. On 10 July 2010, he scored the game-winning header in a 3-2 win against Uruguay in the 3rd place play-off match

      Personal life

      Khedira's father is from Tunisia and his mother is from Germany.[10] Sami's younger brother Rani plays for the youth ranks of VfB Stuttgart and is a member of the Germany U15 team.[11]

      Honours

      Club

      Stuttgart

      Country

      Germany
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      Pablo Sarabia

      Minggu, 27 Maret 2011.
      Full name Pablo Sarabia García
      Date of birth 11 May 1992 (1992-05-11) (age 18)
      Place of birth Madrid, Spain
      Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 12 in)
      Playing position Attacking midfielder

      Pablo Sarabia García (born 11 May 1992 in Madrid) is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid Castilla in the Segunda Division B. Mainly an attacking midfielder, he can also play as a winger

      Club career

      Sarabia played in the Escuela de Fútbol Madrid Oeste de Boadilla del Monte (Football College West Madrid of Boadilla del Monte) in his in his youth until 2004, when Real Madrid signed him.[1] Going up over the years through the youth teams, he made his professional debut in Segunda Division B against AD Alcorcón on 3 January 2010.[3] Two weeks later, Pablo scored his first goal for Real Madrid Castilla in the game against Racing Santander B.[4]
      On December of the same year Pablo made his first call-up for the first team to face AJ Auxerre in UEFA Champions League. [5] He was given shirt number 33 and he replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the 72th minute.[6] After his debut, Sarabia stated: "This was a tremendous night that I will never forget".[7]
      In his second season at Real Madrid Castilla, manager Alberto Toril assigned him a major role in the game of the squad, moving him from his usual position as a winger to an attacking midfielder. As the campaign reached half, he had scored eight goals

      International career

      Sarabia is a regular player of the Spain national football team youth squads, since his debut on 2008 with the Spain U16. He is also a member of Spain national under-17 football team with whom he won a Bronze medal in 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

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      Ivan Rakitić

      Full name Ivan Rakitić
      Date of birth 10 March 1988 (1988-03-10) (age 23)
      Place of birth Möhlin, Switzerland
      Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
      Playing position Midfielder

      Ivan Rakitić (born 10 March 1988) is a Swiss born Croatian footballer who plays for Sevilla FC and the Croatian national team.
      Born in Möhlin, he started his professional career at Swiss giants Basel and spent two seasons with them before establishing popularity for his time in the German Bundesliga with Schalke 04. Although naturally a product of Switzerland's youth level, Rakitić pledged his international career to his native parentage of Croatia instead.

      Early life

      Rakitić was born to a Croatian family. His parents emigrated to Switzerland before the war in Croatia. His father, Luka, and his family are originally from Sikirevci, while his mother's family are Bosnian Croats from Žepče.[1] Rakitić spent his childhood and early career in Switzerland. His father and older brother were also footballers. With such a background, it was no surprise when Rakitić took a strong interest in the same aspirations, even as he was completing his primary school studies. Subsequent to doing so, he began to concentrate on his sporting career, with his family's encouragement. At age 16, he was noticed by top European scouts who acclaimed his young potential, although he and his family decided to stay in Basel to allow him to play more regularly in a smaller league instead.[2]

      Club career

      FC Basel

      After spending some short time in the youth teams, Rakitić went on to make his first-team debut for FC Basel on 29 September 2005 during the UEFA Cup away match at Široki Brijeg. He made his first Swiss Super League appearance on 15 April 2006 in Basel's away match against Neuchâtel Xamax. Although these two matches were the only ones he played during his first professional season with Basel, he went on to establish himself as a regular contributor in his second season, scoring 11 goals in 33 Super League appearances. Also making nine UEFA cup appearances during this time, he was named the best young player of the 2006–07 Super League season along with receiving the Swiss 'Goal of the Year' award for an impressive goal he scored against St Gallen.[3]

      Schalke 04

      After an impressive showing as a teenager, Rakitić was again acclaimed by large European clubs who expressed interest in his young ability.[2] Subject to such, he was eventually signed by German side Schalke 04 on 22 June 2007. He was seen by their head coach, Mirko Slomka, to be a replacement for Brazilian midfielder Lincoln, who left the club for Galatasaray.
      He made his debut for Schalke on 21 July 2007 in the Premiere Ligapokal fixture against Karlsruhe, and eventually appeared in the remaining two matches as Schalke finished runners-up. On 5 August 2007, Rakitić scored his first competitive goal for his new club in their 9–0 away win over Eintracht Trier in the first round of the German Cup.
      On 10 August 2007, the new Bundesliga season was commenced with a clash between champions Stuttgart and Schalke. Rakitić came on as a second half substitute and scored his first Bundesliga goal within just seven minutes on the field, as his side eventually contracted a 2–2 draw.[4] On 15 September 2007, he managed to make impressions again by scoring the only goal for Schalke in their 1–1 away draw at Bayern Munich.[5] Three days later, Rakitić made his Champions League debut in the 1–0 home defeat to Valencia. He then went on to make a total of seven appearances in the 2007–08 Champions League season,[6] including a strong and very impressive midfield role in Schalke's home fixture against Chelsea in the group stage. He and current teammate Mladen Krstajić were temporarily cut from the squad the night before Schalke's next fixture against Rosenborg due to being caught skipping training and taking part in a late night partying.[7] Helping his side prevail in the penalty shootout against Porto to reach the quarter finals for the first time,[8] Rakitić had to miss both the fixtures of such against Barcelona due to an ankle injury sustained in training. He was kept out of action for a month[9] as Schalke were eliminated from the tournament without him.
      Shortly upon returning from injury, Rakitić discovered top form as he scored a goal and assisted another two in the vital 3–0 victory at Bochum,[10] which made sure Schalke finished at least third in league table and secured a place in the next Champions League. He continued such form in the next fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt, assisting Mladen Krstajić for the only goal of the match to conclude with Schalke a positive home season. In total, he finished his first Bundesliga season with three goals and ten assists in 29 appearances.[11]
      The subsequent season started well for Rakitić as he played in Schalke's 3–0 victory over Hannover 96, assisting two goals in the opening fixture.[12]

      Sevilla FC

      On 28 January 2011, Rakitić signed a four-and-a-half year contract with Spanish club Sevilla FC.

      International career

      Although he had previously competed with the Swiss under-17, under-19 and under-21 national teams, Rakitić decided to take up the call by Slaven Bilić and play for the Croatia at senior level.[14] His decision to decline the original country of his birth sparked much anger from the Swiss Football Association.
      He made his debut for Croatia on 8 September 2007 in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia in Zagreb, highly praised by the fans as he was entering the game as a substitute.[15] In Croatia's following qualifier, a 6–0 away win over Andorra on September 12, 2007, he scored his first international goal for Croatia in only his second appearance for the team. He finished the year 2007 with five senior international caps to his name, four of which were in the successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
      In early May 2008, he was added to Croatia's squad for the Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland, where he was the second-youngest player.[16] He made his first appearance at the tournament as a starter against Germany, and eventually provided a shot which ricocheted off the post and allowed teammate Ivica Olić to score the second goal in their 2–1 victory. Though playing a strong role against Turkey in the quarter finals of the tournament, Rakitić went on to miss one of the three unsuccessful penalties in the shootout, thus leading to a victory for Turkey.
      Rakitić continued to appear regularly for Croatia during their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, making a total of 10 appearances and scoring three goals in the competition. On 15 October 2008, he scored a brace in a 4–0 win at home to Andorra. On 5 September 2009, he scored the match-winning goal in a 1–0 win at home to Belarus. Croatia failed to qualify for the finals after finishing third in their group.

      Playing style

      Rakitić is commonly deployed for his very mature and strong playing style. While playing in the Bundesliga with Schalke, he is mainly used as a held back playmaker and is capable of creating attacks thanks to his vision and also holding the ball well to keep possession. He is, to a much lesser extent, also known for contributing to defense which is only seen when his club would play a defensive game. He often is chosen to take set pieces for both Schalke and Croatia.
      While playing at international level, Rakitić has also been referred to as a striker as used a few times in a more forward position by current coach Slaven Bilić. However, his midfield ability is also used to great effect combined with Croatia's touch and move football which sees many passing along the pitch and also gives him the ability to make many runs on the left flank to create attacks.[17] He has shown a great knowledge of offense in many games, and his delivery and unexpected shot accuracy with both feet are also among his strengths. During Euro 2008 in Austria and his native Switzerland, he formed part of a widely praised trident of attacking midfielders deployed by Slaven Bilic, along with his team-mates Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar.

      Personal life

      Ivan has a brother, Dejan, who also played football shortly before suffering a major injury which put him out of action permanently. Rakitić has a tattoo supporting him with the word "Dejan" on his right arm.[2] He is fluent in German, Swiss German, Croatian and English.
      Dejan Rakitić made comeback in 2008 signing for Swiss side Black Star
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      Niko Kranjčar

      Full name Niko Kranjčar
      Date of birth 13 August 1984 (1984-08-13) (age 26)
      Place of birth Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia
      Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
      Playing position Attacking Midfielder, Winge

      Niko Kranjčar (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈniːkɔ ˈkraɲtʃaːr]) (born 13 August 1984) is a Croatian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team.
      He previously represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, playing for Dinamo Zagreb before sparking controversy by making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005.[1] A transfer to England with Portsmouth soon followed in August 2006,[2] and after several years of attempting to hold on to their key players,[3][4][5] Portsmouth decided to sell him at the start of the 2009–10 season, opening the way for a move to Tottenham in September 2009, where he was reunited with his former manager at Portsmouth, Harry Redknapp.[6]
      Hailed as the next Robert Prosinečki, Kranjčar was given his international debut by his father Zlatko in August 2004.[7] As of February 2011, Kranjčar has won 62 caps for the Croatia national team scoring 15 goals in the process.
      Kranjčar spent his childhood years in Austria, when his father Zlatko played for Rapid Vienna, thus holding an Austrian passport, counting as a EU player

      Club career

      Early years

      Kranjčar spent most of his youth playing for NK Dinamo Zagreb, and later became the youngest captain of the squad for the first time at the age of 17. He also became one of the youngest goalscorers in the Prva HNL as he scored on his league debut for Dinamo at the age of 16 before helping them win the double of a Croatian cup and a league title in 2003 and then the Croatian cup again the following season.[8] Such abilities and assistance led him to become a fan favorite, he began to receive comparison to French football legend Zinedine Zidane.[9] However, in early 2005, he experienced a disagreement with the management, leading to a surprise transfer to Dinamo's biggest rivals, Hajduk Split.[10] Nevertheless, he still managed to focus on his new club as he helped them to the Croatian title in his first season.[7]
      After the 2006 World Cup, the world press hailed him for his talents, and several clubs immediately showed interest in the young star. Among such clubs were Stade Rennais and the Spanish Club Celta Vigo. In August 2006, Rennes bid 4.5 million for Kranjčar, which Hajduk rejected, stating they felt they should get more for the player. Later on the same day, however, Kranjčar then moved for a reported £3.5 million (€5.2 million) to Portsmouth on 31 August 2006.[11][12]

      Portsmouth

      Kranjčar made his Premier League debut for Portsmouth on 1 October 2006 as he played all 90 minutes in their 2–1 away defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. He scored his first Premier League goal on 31 March 2007 at Fulham, giving Portsmouth an early 1–0 lead in a match that eventually ended in a 1–1 draw.[13] He made a total of 24 appearances and scored two goals in his first Premier League season. The following season, he played an integral role in Portsmouth's FA Cup win.[14]
      At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, AS Monaco apparently had a bid of £12 million rejected for Kranjčar,[15] however this was denied by Monaco.[16][17] On 12 February 2009, with Portsmouth battling relegation, Kranjčar publicly declared his desire to quit Portsmouth and move to a bigger club.[18] Arsenal and AS Monaco have previously been linked with moves for the Croatian International.[19][20] Everton manager David Moyes also expressed an interest in signing Kranjčar as a replacement for long-term absentee Mikel Arteta.[21] In August, Kranjčar stated: "For now I am staying, but we have not strengthened like I would have liked us to. That's why I will not sign a new contract. It's one more season for me and then I'm off".[22]

      Tottenham Hotspur

      On 1 September 2009, Kranjčar joined Tottenham Hotspur from Portsmouth after the two clubs agreed a transfer fee of around £1-2 million, although the actual price was undisclosed. The deal was completed just before the transfer deadline passed with him signing a four-year contract.[23] It was reported that Everton had made a late bid to sign Kranjčar, but the player opted to sign for Spurs, stating that: "Everton is also a big club but, in the end, the tradition and greatness of Tottenham made the difference. I also knew manager Harry Redknapp, and Luka Modrić and Vedran Ćorluka told me great things about the club".[24] Kranjčar made his debut for Tottenham as a substitute in the 3–1 defeat to Manchester United at home.[25] On 26 September 2009, Kranjčar made his first Premier League start for Tottenham in a 5–0 home thrashing of Burnley.[26] He scored his first goal for the club in a Premier League match away to Bolton Wanderers on 4 October 2009.[27] On 22 November 2009, Kranjčar scored for Tottenham in a 9–1 home thrashing of Wigan Athletic, with Jermain Defoe scoring a record equalling five.[28] On 16 December 2009, Kranjčar grabbed a brace in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester City.[29] On 20 March 2010, Kranjčar scored the winning goal in a 1–2 away victory over Stoke.[30] Kranjčar has found difficulty being chosen in starting line-ups, due to the rise in prominence of Gareth Bale, who also plays in his position. Whilst Bale has been out injured, Tottenham started with Kranjčar in two back-to-back matches and he scored the winner in both, against Bolton Wanderers in a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane, and away to Sunderland in another 2-1 victory.

      International career

      Kranjčar was previously a part of the Croatian national Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 teams before advancing to the senior national team. His senior debut for Croatia came on 18 August 2004 in a friendly match against Israel. He was a regular for Croatia during their qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup, making nine appearances and scoring two goals, including a brilliant single effort against Bulgaria. Niko was then chosen for "Young guns firing for World Cup glory" on eurosport.com with some of the greatest talents in the world, such as Lionel Messi, Lukas Podolski and future Pompey team mate Sulley Muntari. He went on to play in all of Croatia's three group stage matches at the final tournament, proving to be a prestigious player for his impressive performances.
      With the departure of his father as national team manager, Kranjčar became a regular for Croatia in their qualifying campaign for the Euro 2008, having appeared in all 12 matches, scoring two goals. The most famous of such was his long range opener for Croatia during their final match away to England. Croatia eventually won the game 3–2, resulting in England's failure to qualify for the final tournament.[31] He then scored in a friendly match against Scotland with a spectacular effort just from inside the penalty area in a match played that ended 1–1, the equalising goal coming from Kenny Miller.

      Honours

      Dinamo Zagreb
      Hajduk Split
      Portsmouth

      Personal life

      Kranjčar is married to Simona Fistrić and the couple live in Cuffley.[32] His wife Simona gave birth on March 7, 2011 to a baby girl by the name of Lore
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