Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol revealed that he was close to quitting football in his youth to dedicate himself to basketball. The decision, which could have changed the course of his career, came when he was playing for Dinamo Zagreb.
At 16 years old, Gvardiol couldn’t establish himself in Zagreb’s first team and considered other options for his sporting future.
I was thinking of quitting because I also like basketball.
Josko Gvardiol
The player explained that he had lost his motivation in football: “When I arrived at the training ground, I no longer felt happy. I was looking for other solutions to feel better, since all my friends played basketball.”Finally, Gvardiol managed to join the Zagreb team, where he won several consecutive championships in Croatia. His transfer to RB Leipzig for 16 million pounds made him the most expensive Croatian teenager in history.
Two years later, City signed him for 77 million pounds, making him the second most expensive defender in history, surpassed only by Harry Maguire.
Since his arrival at City, Gvardiol has scored more goals in the Premier League than any other defender. Last season, he played in 55 of City’s 61 matches, both as a central defender and left-back.
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Recently, the Croatian has played as a left center-back in a five-match unbeaten run for City.
I’m happy to be back in my position. Just play simple, protect the goal, defend the goal.
Gvardiol also commented on the team’s goals: “Obviously, we have new goals this season and we want to aim high. But I like to say that it’s quite early to talk about our goals, the season is long, so we go match by match.”
Currently, City is three points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and will look to reduce that difference this weekend when they face Aston Villa.
