Vedran Ćorluka

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Vedran Ćorluka
Personal information
Full name Vedran Ćorluka
Date of birth 5 February 1986 (1986-02-05) (age 22)
Place of birth    Derventa, Bosnia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current club Manchester City
Number 16
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2003–2007
2004–2005
2007–
Dinamo Zagreb
Inter Zaprešić (loan)
Manchester City
61 (7)
27 (4)
35 (0)   
National team2
2006– Croatia 21 (0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of May 31, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of June 8, 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Vedran Ćorluka (IPA[ʋedran ʨorluka]) (born February 5, 1986) is a Croatian football defender who currently plays for English Premier League team Manchester City.

Ćorluka was born in Modran, a small village near Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Yugoslavia, but it was officially said he was born in Doboj because his village Modran was closer to Doboj Hospital.[1] He started to play football in Dinamo Zagreb's youth teams when he was eight. Ćorluka's professional career started in 2003 but during that season he didn't make an appearance for the first team. He was sent on loan to Inter Zaprešić and played one season for them, helping the team to second place in the league, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005.

He also started to play for the Croatian under-21 team and came close to the country's full national side, for which he soon made his debut in the friendly match against world champions Italy on August 16, 2006 in Livorno, Italy. Croatia won the match 2–0 and Ćorluka, who entered the game in second half, satisfied critics with his very good, solid performance against experienced Serie A forwards.

Ćorluka was signed by Manchester City on 2 August 2007.[1][2]

Manchester City have not revealed the fee, but reports from Croatia say the deal is worth around £8 million. The 21-year-old has penned a five-year deal.[3]

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