Josip Skoko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Josip Skoko

Skoko in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Josip Skoko
Date of birth	(1975-12-10) 10 December 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth	Mount Gambier, Australia
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Youth career
1991	North Geelong Warriors
1992–1993	AIS
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1995	North Geelong Warriors	32	(8)
1995–1999	Hajduk Split	97	(20)
1999–2003	Genk	100	(8)
2003–2005	Gençlerbirliği	58	(4)
2005–2008	Wigan Athletic	45	(0)
2006	→ Stoke City (loan)	9	(2)
2008–2010	Hajduk Split	52	(1)
2010–2011	Melbourne Heart	22	(0)
Total		415	(43)
International career
1993–1995	Australia U20	11	(3)
2000	Australia Olympic (O.P.)	3	(0)
1997–2007	Australia	51	(9)
Managerial career
	North Geelong Warriors (youth)
Medal record Representing  Australia Men's Association football FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 1997 Saudi Arabia Third 2001 South Korea-Japan OFC Nations Cup Winner 2004 Australia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Josip Skoko was a talented Australian football (soccer) player. He was born on December 10, 1975. Josip played as a central midfielder, which means he helped both defend and attack in the middle of the field. People often said he was great at controlling the ball, making perfect passes, and quickly changing the game from defense to attack. After his playing career, he became the Director of Football at North Geelong Warriors FC.

Josip Skoko's Club Journey

Starting Out in Australia

Josip Skoko was born in Mount Gambier, Australia. His family was from Croatia. He played football for a local team called Mt Gambier Croatia until he was nine years old. Then, his family moved to Geelong, where he joined the North Geelong Warriors club.

Playing in Europe: Croatia, Belgium, and Turkey

In 1995, Josip moved to Europe to play for the Croatian team Hajduk Split. He played there for four years. After that, he joined a Belgian club called Genk in 1999. At Genk, he became the team captain. He helped his team win the league title in the 2001–02 season. In 2003, he moved to Turkey to play for Gençlerbirliği for two years.

Time in English Football: Wigan and Stoke

In 2005, Josip joined Wigan Athletic, a team in England's top league, the Premier League. He didn't play regularly at first. So, in January 2006, he went on loan to Stoke City, another English team. He played nine games for Stoke and scored two goals.

When he returned to Wigan for the 2006–07 season, his coach gave him more chances to play. He became a key player in Wigan's midfield. He even signed a new contract to stay with the club until 2008. However, after that season, he left Wigan. This was partly because he didn't play enough games to activate a special part of his contract. Also, it became difficult for him to get a visa to stay in England after he stopped playing for the Australian national team.

Returning to Hajduk Split

After leaving Wigan in May 2008, Josip faced some challenges with getting work permits in Europe. But on July 21, 2008, he finally signed a two-year deal with his old club, Hajduk Split. He said it was an easy decision because Hajduk felt like "a second home" to him. He had played more than 100 games for them between 1995 and 1999.

Playing Back Home: Melbourne Heart

On May 19, 2010, it was announced that Josip would return to Australia. He signed with a new team in the A-League called Melbourne Heart. He was their special "marquee player" for one season, meaning he was a big name signing. He was also one of the first leaders of the team. Unfortunately, he got a hamstring injury in his second game, which kept him out for about a month. Josip officially retired from playing football in February 2012 after taking part in a special tournament called the 2012 Hawaiian Island Invitational.

Josip Skoko's International Career

Josip Skoko played for the Australian national team, known as the Socceroos, for ten years. His first game for Australia was against Macedonia in 1997. From then on, he was a regular player for the team. He helped Australia try to qualify for the FIFA World Cup twice. He also played for Australia at the Olympic Games in 2000.

In November 2005, Josip came on as a substitute in a very important game. Australia beat Uruguay in a playoff match to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge moment for Australian football. In 2006, he even captained a less experienced Australian team in an Asian Cup qualifying match against Bahrain.

On May 25, 2006, Josip scored an amazing goal for Australia. It was a powerful shot from 25 meters away against Greece. This goal, scored in front of over 95,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, was one of his most memorable moments. He was chosen for the 2006 World Cup squad in Germany. However, he did not get to play in any of Australia's four games at the tournament.

Josip played his last international game for Australia on September 11, 2007, against Argentina in Melbourne. He left the field after 51 minutes, ending his international career with 51 appearances for his country.

Josip Skoko's Family Life

Josip Skoko has two sons, Noa and Luka Skoko. Both of his sons have also become professional football players, following in their father's footsteps.

Josip Skoko's Achievements

Club Honours

• Genk
  • Belgian First Division: 2001–02
  • Belgian Cup: 1999–2000

International Honours

• Australia
  • FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up in 1997; Third place in 2001
  • OFC Nations Cup: 2004

See also

In Spanish: Josip Skoko para niños