Dušan Tadić facts for kids
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Tadić with Serbia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 November 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Bačka Topola, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.81 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward, attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Fenerbahçe | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| AIK Bačka Topola | |||
| 2002–2006 | Vojvodina | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2010 | Vojvodina | 107 | (29) |
| 2010–2012 | Groningen | 68 | (14) |
| 2012–2014 | Twente | 66 | (28) |
| 2014–2018 | Southampton | 134 | (21) |
| 2018–2023 | Ajax | 161 | (77) |
| 2023– | Fenerbahçe | 57 | (18) |
| National team | |||
| 2007–2010 | Serbia U21 | 24 | (1) |
| 2008–2024 | Serbia | 111 | (23) |
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Dušan Tadić (born on November 20, 1988) is a professional footballer from Serbia. He plays for the club Fenerbahçe in Turkey. Dušan is a very versatile player. He can play as a forward, a winger, or an attacking midfielder. This means he can score goals, help set them up, and control the middle of the field.
Tadić started his football journey in his hometown at AIK Bačka Topola. He then moved to Vojvodina for his youth career. He even played in the UEFA Europa League with Vojvodina. After playing for Groningen and Twente in the Netherlands, he joined Southampton in England's Premier League.
In 2018, Dušan returned to the Netherlands to play for Ajax. There, he became a huge star. He helped Ajax win three Eredivisie titles (the top Dutch league) and two KNVB Cups. He was also the top scorer in the Eredivisie in 2018–19. He was named the Eredivisie Player of the Season in 2020–21. Tadić left Ajax in 2023 with an amazing record of 105 goals and 112 assists in 241 matches. He then joined Fenerbahçe.
Dušan Tadić has played a record 111 games for the Serbian national team. He first played for his country in 2008. He represented Serbia at the Olympics in 2008. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022. Most recently, he played in the UEFA European Championship in 2024.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting Out at Vojvodina
Dušan Tadić learned his football skills at his hometown club, AIK Bačka Topola. He then signed his first professional contract with Vojvodina. He played his first big games in the Meridian SuperLiga when he was just 18 years old.
While at Vojvodina, he gained valuable experience playing against strong teams. He even played against Atlético Madrid. He played almost four full seasons without any serious injuries. His talent in big European games was clear in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League qualifying round. He scored a goal against Austria Wien when he was only 20.
Moving to Groningen
In 2010, Vojvodina sold Dušan Tadić to Groningen in the Netherlands. The transfer was worth about €1.23 million. On August 8, 2010, Tadić played his first game for Groningen. It was an Eredivisie match against Ajax. He played the whole game and helped set up a goal in a 2–2 draw.
On December 18, 2010, Tadić scored his first goal for Groningen. It was in a 2–2 draw against Excelsior. On January 30, 2011, he scored two goals and assisted another in a 4–1 win over Heerenveen. Tadić ended the 2010–11 season with 7 goals and 22 assists in 41 matches. He had the third-highest number of assists in Europe that season. Only Mesut Özil and Lionel Messi had more. He played for Groningen from 2010 to 2012.
Time at Twente
On April 10, 2012, Tadić signed with Twente for €7.7 million. In his first game for Twente on August 12, 2012, he scored two goals against his old club, Groningen. He finished his first season as the team's second-highest scorer. He scored 16 goals in all competitions. In the next season, Tadić again scored 16 goals. This made him the team's top scorer.
Playing for Southampton
Dušan Tadić was the first player signed by new Southampton manager Ronald Koeman. He joined on July 8, 2014, signing a four-year deal. The fee was around £10.9 million. He played his first game for Southampton on August 17 in a 2–1 loss to Liverpool. He helped set up Southampton's goal in that match.
He scored his first goal for Southampton on September 23. It was a penalty against Arsenal in a 2–1 League Cup win. His first league goal came in a huge 8–0 win over Sunderland. In that game, he also assisted four other goals. This equaled a Premier League record for most assists in one match!
On January 1, 2015, Tadić scored in a 2–0 win against Arsenal. Ten days later, he scored the only goal as Southampton beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was Southampton's first league win at Old Trafford since 1988. Tadić scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Norwich City on August 30, 2015. He scored two more goals in a 4–2 win over Aston Villa in April 2016. In the very next game, he provided three assists in a 4–2 win over Manchester City. This made him only the fourth player to get three or more assists in more than one Premier League game.
Becoming a Star at Ajax
Tadić joined the Dutch club Ajax in June 2018. Ajax paid €11.4 million for him. On March 5, 2019, Tadić had an amazing game. He scored a goal and made two assists. His performance helped Ajax beat Real Madrid 4–1 in the Champions League. Real Madrid had won the previous three Champions League titles. Tadić's performance was so good that a famous French football newspaper, L'Equipe, gave him a perfect 10/10 rating. Many experts believed that signing Tadić was the main reason for Ajax's success in the 2018–19 season.
On April 23, 2019, Ajax beat Vitesse 4–2. The four goals scored by Ajax meant they were the first Dutch team to score 160 goals in all competitions in one season. At that time, Tadić had helped score 53 of the club's goals (34 goals and 19 assists). Tadić led Ajax to the Champions League Semi-Finals. He was also named in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season. He was even nominated for the 2019 Ballon d'Or, finishing in 20th place.
On May 2, 2021, Ajax won the Eredivisie title. Tadić was honored with the Dutch Footballer of the Year award. On September 3, 2022, he played his 200th match for Ajax in a 4–0 win. On February 19, 2023, he scored his 100th goal for Ajax. On July 14, 2023, Tadić left Ajax. He had scored 105 goals and made 112 assists in 241 matches.
Joining Fenerbahçe
On July 16, 2023, Tadić signed a two-year contract with Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe in Turkey. On July 26, he played his first game for them in the Conference League. It was a 5–0 win against Zimbru. On August 1, he scored his first goal for Fenerbahçe in the second game against Zimbru. On August 13, he made his Süper Lig debut in a 2–1 win against Gaziantep.
Playing for Serbia
Youth and Early Senior Games
Tadić was a regular player for Serbia's under-19 and under-21 teams. He played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He also played for Serbia at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
On December 14, 2008, Tadić played his first game for the Serbian senior team. It was a friendly match against Poland. On September 12, 2012, he scored his first goal for the national team. It was in a 6–1 win against Wales during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.
World Cup Appearances
Tadić was one of Serbia's most important players during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. He scored four goals and helped his team win their group. In June 2018, he was chosen for the 23-man squad for the World Cup. He played in all three group stage matches.
In November 2022, he was the captain of Serbia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He played in all three group stage matches. These were against Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland. He provided two assists in the tournament. Serbia finished fourth in their group.
Reaching 100 Games and Retiring
On September 10, 2023, Tadić played his 100th international match. It was a 3–1 win against Lithuania during the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
On May 28, 2024, he was named in the Serbia squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He played as a substitute in the team's first match against England. He also played in group stage matches against Slovenia and Denmark. Serbia finished fourth in their group. On July 18, 2024, Tadić announced that he was retiring from playing for the national team.
What He Won
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
- KNVB Cup: 2018–19, 2020–21
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2019
Individual Awards
- Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season: 2009–10
- Groningen Player of the Year: 2010–11
- Eredivisie Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2022–23
- Eredivisie top scorer: 2018–19 (shared)
- Serbian Footballer of the Year: 2016, 2019, 2021
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
- UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2018–19
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2020–21
- Eredivisie Player of the Season: 2020–21
- Eredivisie Player of the Month: March 2019
- Ajax Player of the Year: 2020–21
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2020–21
See also
In Spanish: Dušan Tadić para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
