Vidic

Nemanja Vidic Stats
-Full Name: Nemanja Vidic
-Birthplace: Titovo, Uzice, SFR Yugoslavia
-Date of Birth: 21/10/1981
-Height: 190cm (6ft 2.5ins)
-Weight: 182lbs (13st)
-Position: C. Back
-Squad Number: 15

International Football
Serbia

Introduction
Nemanja Vidic is an old fashioned, tough tackling, never say die centre back cast out of the same rock as the likes of Bill Foulkes and Steve Bruce. His seemingly willingness to die for the cause along with his penchant for scoring powerful headed goals have given him cult status amongst the Manchester United faithful.

In fact they say "Nemanja Vidic doesn't head the ball away, the ball heads the other way".


Red Star Belgrade (Crvena zvezda) and Spartak Moscow
Nemanja vidic began his road to footballing success at the age of 7 with local side Jedinstvo Uzice where his talents were spotted by the larger Sloboda Uzice who quickly added the young Nemanja to their youth team set-up.

His talents were now turning the heads of the bigger clubs such as 1991 European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade, who took the plunge and signed him up to their youth team, just before his 15th birthday.

Three years after being signed by Red Star Nemanja Vidic was ready to make his senior debut, doing so as a loanee at Spartak Subotica. It was here where he cultivated his knack for goal scoring, roughly averaging a goal every four games.

The very next season Vidic was now ready to make his senior debut for Red Star Belgrade and in his very season played 22 games, winning the Yugoslav Cup in the process when Red Star beat FK Startid 1-0.

The very next season with his leadership qualities growing all the time Nemanja was given the captaincy by then manager Zoran Filipovic, he was just 21 years old at the time, a great feat for one so young.

Vidic left Red Star Belgrade in 2004 on a high note when he led the club to the domestic double after beating FK Budućnost Banatski Dvor 1-0 in the Serbia & Montenegro Cup and pipping arch rivals FK Partizan to the Serbian Superliga title.

in the summer of 2004 Nemanja Vidic joined Russian giants Spartak Moscow in a deal worth £4.05m after playiing 66 games for the Belgrade club and scoring an amazing 12 goals.

In Nemanja's first and only full season in Moscow, Spartak finished runners-up in the Russian Premier League, eventually losing out to Moskovite rivals CSKA Moscow.

Manchester United
Manchester United signed Nemanja Vidic during the 2006 English transfer window for a fee believed to be in the region of £7m and was handed Klebrson's old number 15 jersey.

The player went on to make his debut on 25 January 2006 against Blackburn Rovers in the semi-final, 2nd leg 2-1 victory, coming on as a second half substitute for Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

After a tough start to life at Old Trafford and trying to adapt his skills to the pace of the Premier League Vidic eventually formed a strong defensive partership with Rio Ferdinand which saw them being dubbed the new "Brucey and Pally".

For me the turning point in Nemanja Vidic's United career was on 1st April 2006 in the 2-1 away victory over Bolton Wanderers where his superb robust performance had the normally unshakable Kevin Davies complaining to thereferee everytime Vidic won the ball from him. The player had finally arrived.

He scored his first goal for Manchester United on 14 October, 2006 in the 3-1 victory over Wigan Athletic, a towering header which would become the player's signiture goal and went on to score another three times that season.

In 2007 and 2008 Manchester United went on to lift the Premier League title by in large to the Vidic and Ferdinand partnership, which helped limit the defense into shipping just 49 goals over the two seasons.

In 2007-08 season Vida won his first European Champions Legaue title when United defeated London rivals Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. The victory was particularly poignant for the player as the game was played at Spartak Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, where Vidic had spenta fantastic 18 months prior to his move to Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic Honours
Red Star Belgrade
Yugoslav Cup: 2002Serbian SuperLiga: 2004

Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2004


Manchester United
-FA Premier League: 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09
-UEFA Champions League: 2008
-League Cup: 2006
-FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
-Carling Cup: 2009,2010

Nemanja Vidic Personal Honours
-Serbia's Overseas Player of the Year: 2005, 2007
-PFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2008