He’s a cornerstone of Manchester Metropolis’s defence, however their file defensive signing has revealed he was shut to selecting a special sporting profession path.
Josko Gvardiol is a daily first-team starter below Pep Guardiola, however the 23-year-old says he nearly give up the game as a young person to pursue his love of basketball.
The crossroads in his profession got here when he was simply 16 and struggling to get sport time within the youth setup at Dinamo Zagreb.
And with basketball his favorite sport – European, not American – coupled with all of his mates taking part in it, Gvardiol thought lengthy and onerous about his future and what would make him ‘really feel happier’.
Chatting with BBC Sport, he mentioned: ‘I used to be desirous about quitting as a result of I like basketball as properly.
‘I wasn’t certain in soccer any extra as a result of while you get to the coaching floor you do not really feel completely happy any extra, you already know?
One among Manchester Metropolis’s stars has revealed they nearly give up soccer for basketball as a teen
The participant in query is Josko Gvardiol who got here near swapping sports activities when he was 16
Gvardiol, pictured in 2020, was struggling coming by the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb
‘I used to be simply looking for different options and to really feel happier than I felt earlier than as a result of all of my mates had been taking part in basketball.’
Gvardiol selected soccer and finally broke into Dinamo’s first-team – profitable back-to-back league titles earlier than becoming a member of RB Leipzig in a £16m deal in 2021.
After two spectacular seasons in Germany, he joined Manchester Metropolis in a £77m switch in August 2023 to make him the second-most costly defender of all time.
And regardless of his rise, the Croatian worldwide nonetheless cannot consider how far he has come.
‘My dream clearly was to grow to be knowledgeable soccer participant, however I did not know that I used to be going to go that far,’ Gvardiol added.
‘For those who go 5 years again and ask me, do you see your self at Manchester Metropolis in 2023, ’24, ’25? I might say no likelihood, like actually unattainable.’
Gvardiola has made seven appearances in all competitions for Metropolis up to now – serving to them preserve a clear sheet most just lately of their 2-0 Champions League win at Villarreal.
He’ll look to repeat that shutout on Sunday afternoon once they journey to Aston Villa within the Premier League.
