Man City's outstanding star once considered quitting football

At one point, he wanted to leave football to pursue basketball; now Gvardiol has become a key player for Manchester City.

Gvardiol, the talented center-back of Manchester City, once nearly gave up football to switch to basketball when he was an unknown teenager at Dinamo Zagreb. Few would have imagined that the young man, once frustrated by his lack of playing time, would grow into one of the world’s best defenders.

At just 16 years old, Gvardiol went through a tough period in Dinamo Zagreb’s youth team. He wasn’t given chances to play and gradually lost the joy he used to feel at training. Meanwhile, basketball, Croatia’s second most popular sport, was a passion of his and a common pastime among his friends.

Feeling stuck, Gvardiol contemplated changing direction. “I once thought about quitting footballbecause I also liked basketball. When I went to training, I no longer felt happy. I just wanted to find the joy I had before, while all my friends were playing basketball,” he shared with the BBC.

But instead of giving up, Gvardiol chose to persevere. His determination and relentless effort gradually helped him prove himself, eventually earning promotion to Dinamo Zagreb’s first team. There, he became a vital part of the club’s back-to-back national championship victories.

His impressive performances caught the attention of RB Leipzig, where he transferred for a fee of £16 million, a record for a young Croatian player at that time.

In the Bundesliga, Gvardiol’s talent quickly stood out. He was not only strong defensively but also skilled at ball control, initiating attacks, and scoring goals. This form convinced Pep Guardiola to spend £77 million to bring him to Manchester City in 2023, making Gvardiol one of the world’s most expensive defenders.

After just two seasons in England, the 23-year-old has achieved remarkable success. He won the Premier League with Man City and played over 6,000 minutes combined for both club and the Croatian national team. Last season, Gvardiol appeared in 55 of City’s 61 matches, missing only 140 minutes in the Premier League, demonstrating his influence and durability.

From a boy who nearly quit football to seek happiness elsewhere, Josko Gvardiol has written an inspiring story of resilience and belief, proving that passion and perseverance can lead a person to heights once thought impossible.