Nemanja Vidić
Serbian defensive legend who captained Manchester United and won 15 trophies.
Nemanja Vidić (Serbian Cyrillic: Немања Видић, Serbian pronunciation: [němaɲa ʋǐːditɕ]; born 21 October 1981) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Vidić is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he won 15 trophies and served as club captain. He is one of only five players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice, alongside Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah. He is the only defender to have ever won the award twice.
Lore & Background
After establishing himself at Red Star Belgrade during the early 2000s, Vidić moved to Spartak Moscow in the summer of 2004. He completed a £7 million transfer to Manchester United in January 2006, where he established a formidable defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand. Vidić spent eight years at United, during which time he won five Premier League titles, three Football League Cups, five FA Community Shields, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He was appointed club captain in 2010, a position he held for four years until his departure. In 2014, Vidić joined Serie A club Inter Milan on a free transfer. He mainly featured as a rotational player for two seasons before retiring in January 2016 due to injury problems.
In Their Own Story
The floodlights at Old Trafford hummed. It was a February night, the kind where the air sits heavy and the crowd noise becomes a single, rolling wave. Vidić stood in the box, eyes locked on the ball as the cross whipped in from the left. The striker leapt, arms wide, a full head taller. Vidić did not jump first. He waited. The instant the striker's weight committed, he launched, shoulder driving into the chest, and the ball came off his forehead like a stone off a wall. The striker crumpled. The crowd roared. Vidić landed, turned, and was already scanning the next phase. No celebration. No shout. Just the next challenge, already waiting.
Reader's Guide
A Yugoslavian youth international, Vidić made his senior debut on 12 October 2002 against Italy in UEFA Euro 2004 qualification. He was part of Serbia and Montenegro's "Famous Four" defence that conceded just one goal during the ten 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, setting a record for the fewest goals conceded. Vidić retired from the Serbia national team in October 2011.
Did You Know?
- Vidić won the Premier League Player of the Season twice, in 2008–09 and 2010–11.
- He was appointed Manchester United club captain in 2010, not during the 2008 Champions League final.
- Vidić joined Inter Milan in 2014, after leaving Manchester United, not before.
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