 |
Niko KranjcarMidfielder of the Croatian national football team
Date of Birth: 13.08.1984
Country:  Croatia |
Content:
Early Life and Career
Niko Kranjčar was born on August 13, 1984, in Zagreb, Croatia. His father, Zlatko Kranjčar, was a professional footballer who moved his family to Vienna, Austria, after the fall of the Iron Curtain to play for Rapid Wien. Zlatko later became the manager of the Croatian national team and invited Niko to join the squad.
Club Career
Dinamo ZagrebNiko Kranjčar lived in Vienna until 1991. His father introduced him to football, and at 16, Niko joined Dinamo Zagreb. A year later, he became the club's youngest-ever captain. Kranjčar played 85 matches for Dinamo, scoring 19 goals, and helped them win the Croatian Championship in 2003.
Hajduk Split
After disagreements with Dinamo's management, Kranjčar left the club in 2005 and joined their rivals, Hajduk Split. His transfer fee of €1.5 million was a record for Croatia. Hajduk won the league title with Kranjčar's help, but after a disappointing season in which they finished fifth, he decided to move to England.
Portsmouth
Kranjčar joined Portsmouth in 2006. He initially struggled in the Premier League but played a key role in helping Portsmouth win the FA Cup the following season. Despite interest from Arsenal, Kranjčar remained at Portsmouth.
International Career
Kranjčar made his senior international debut for Croatia in 2004. He played in all of the qualifying matches for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and all of Croatia's matches at the tournament. Kranjčar also played a crucial role in Croatia's victory over England in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, which helped Russia qualify for the tournament.
