Nemanja Vidic biography: Boss and Footballer

Nemanja Vidic biography

Nemanja Vidic Serbian football player

Soccer player

Nemanja Vidic (pronounced Ne-mah-nyah Vee-dee-ch)

born October 21, 1981 in Titovo Užice, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia

A Serbian footballer. He plays for the English club Man Utd in the Premier League, as well as the Serbia national football team.

Career

Youth clubs
Jedinstvo Užice
Sloboda Užice
Red Star Belgrade
Senior clubs
Club App (Gls)
Spartak Subotica (loan) 27 (6)
Red Star Belgrade 67 (12)
Spartak Moscow 39 (4)
Manchester United 36 (3)

Serbia 24 (2)

Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 5 May 2007.
National team caps and goals correct
as of 21 December 2006.

Soccer player

Club career

Early years
Nemanja Vidic was born in a working class family; his father Dragoljub a recently retired copper factory worker, and his mother Zora a bank clerk. Vidic took up football at 7, alongside his older brother Dušan, with local side Jedinstvo Užice. He progressed quickly, and moved to Sloboda Užice at the age of 12.

Red Star
Two and a half years later, before his 15th birthday, Red Star Belgrade signed Vidic to the youth system. Nemanja Vidic started his senior career on a season long loan deal at Spartak Subotica in 2000. He moved to Red Star Belgrade after the season, playing in the top flight Serbian SuperLiga championship. He won the 2004 Serbian SuperLiga and Yugoslav Cup trophies with Red Star Belgrade, and in July 2004, he joined Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow for € 6 million.

Manchester United
Vidic requested to leave Spartak, and signed for Man United for a fee of £7.2 million on January 5, 2006. He was assigned the number 15 shirt, vacated by Brazilian midfielder José Kléberson in Summer 2005. Vidic made his home debut for Man United as a sub for Ruud van Nistelrooy in the dying minutes of Manchester United's 2-1 win in the Carling Cup semi final second leg against Blackburn Rovers on January 25, 2006.

During the 2006/2007 season, following an injury to Wes Brown, Vidic formed a solid partnership with Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defence. Vidic scored his first ever goal for Man Utd against Wigan Athletic which United went on to win 3-1. He scored a second goal in a 3 - 0 win over Portsmouth FC on November 4, his first goal at Man United's Old Trafford stadium. In the early part of the 2006/07 season Vidic was instrumental in hauling Man Utd to the top of the FA Premier League. After taking time to settle in last season, he has shown his potential as a future world-class defender, his no nonsense style, physical strength and immense aerial ability being his main assets. He recently scored a goal against S.L. Benfica during a Champions League match, canceling out Nélson Marcos's initial strike. Man United eventually won the game 3-1. Vidic also appeared to score the opening goal in Man United's FA Cup tie with Portsmouth on January 27, 2007. Vidic headed a Ryan Giggs corner across the goal line only for the referee to controversially fail to award the goal. However, he did score another goal to add to his tally at Tottenham on February 4th, 2007, giving United a 0-2 lead, in an eventual 0-4 triumph.

He is now recognised as one of the best defenders in the FA Premiership and is popular for his strength, heading ability and willingness to throw his body into any tackle.

Vidic broke his collar bone during Man United's game with Blackburn Rovers on 31st March 2007, and was out for the next few weeks of the 2006-2007 season, but returned earlier as he returned to full training. He returned to full fitness when he started the game against AC Milan in Midweek.

Despite Vidic's injury, the Serbian was named in the 2006/07 PFA Premiership Team of the Season alongside seven of his fellow Man Utd teammates.

Vidic was rushed back from injury to face AC Milan in the San Siro. United lost the game 3-0 and bowed out of Europe 5-3 on aggregate. Despite this, Vidic put in a solid performance just 64 hours later as Utd took on Man City at the City of Manchester stadium. United won 0 - 1 and the Premier League title was secured a day later when Chelsea could manage only a draw in a match against Arsenal at the Emirates.

International career

2006 FIFA World Cup
Vidic was part of the Serbian and Montenegrin national team's "Famous Four" defence,[ alongside Mladen Krstajic, Ivica Dragutinovic and Goran Gavrancic. The "Famous Four" defence conceded just one goal during the ten 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, the best defensive record of any of the qualifying teams. Vidic played a major part in the qualification game, against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia and Montenegro won 1-0 and secured qualification, despite Vidic picking up a red card five minutes before the end.

Vidic missed out on Serbia and Montenegro's opening group stage match, through suspension from his red card in the previous qualifying game. On June 12, 2006 he injured his left knee ligaments during training and he did not play any games at the 2006 World Cup.

After the 2006 World Cup, Vidic went to represent the national team, now independent as the Serbia national football team.

Personal
On July 15, 2006, Vidic married his girlfriend Ana Ivanovic, an Economics student at the University of Belgrade. She shouldn't be confused with the Serbian Tennis Star of the same name.

Honours
2004 Serbian SuperLiga, with Red Star Belgrade
2004 Yugoslav Cup, with Red Star Belgrade
2006 Carling Cup, with Manchester United
2007 PFA Team of the Year, with Man United
2007 Barclays Premiership, with Man United

Misspell

Nemannja Vdic Neamanja Vidc Nemanjaa Vydic

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