Nemanja Vidić facts for kids

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Nemanja Vidić

Vidić with Serbia in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Nemanja Vidić
Date of birth	(1981-10-21) 21 October 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth	Titovo Užice, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.90 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Youth career
1989–1994	Jedinstvo Užice
1994–1996	Sloboda Užice
1996–2000	Red Star Belgrade
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2004	Red Star Belgrade	67	(12)
2000–2001	→ Spartak Subotica (loan)	27	(6)
2004–2006	Spartak Moscow	39	(4)
2006–2014	Manchester United	211	(15)
2014–2016	Inter Milan	23	(1)
Total		367	(38)
National team
2002–2011	Serbia	56	(2)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Nemanja Vidić (born October 21, 1981) is a Serbian former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender in the middle of the field. Many people think Vidić is one of the best defenders ever. He is most famous for his time at Manchester United. There, he won 15 trophies and was the team's captain. He is one of only four players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice.

Vidić started his career at Red Star Belgrade in the early 2000s. In 2004, he moved to Spartak Moscow. In January 2006, he joined Manchester United for about £7 million. At United, he formed a very strong defensive team with Rio Ferdinand. Vidić played for United for eight years. During this time, he won five Premier League titles, three Football League Cups, five FA Community Shields, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. He became club captain in 2010 and stayed captain for four years. In 2014, Vidić moved to the Italian club Inter Milan. He played there for two seasons before retiring in January 2016 because of injuries.

Vidić also played for his country, Serbia. He was part of the "Famous Four" defence for Serbia and Montenegro. This team only let in one goal during ten 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. This was a record for the fewest goals allowed. Vidić stopped playing for the Serbian national team in October 2011.

Club Career: Nemanja Vidić's Football Journey

Early Years: How Vidić Started Playing Football

Nemanja Vidić was born to Dragoljub and Zora. His father worked in a copper factory, and his mother was a bank clerk. Nemanja started playing football when he was six years old. He played with his older brother, Dušan, for a local team called Jedinstvo Užice. He quickly got better and moved to Sloboda Užice when he was 12.

Playing for Red Star and Spartak Moscow

Before his 15th birthday, Red Star Belgrade signed Vidić for their youth team. He began his senior career on a one-year loan to Spartak Subotica in 2000. After his loan, he returned to Red Star. He played regularly in the top league, the Yugoslav League.

Vidić quickly became the team's captain. During his three years as captain, he scored 12 goals in 67 games. He finished his time at Red Star by leading the club to win both the league and the cup in 2004. In July 2004, he joined Russian Premier League team Spartak Moscow. He became the most expensive defender in the history of the Russian Premier League.

Manchester United: Vidić's Time at Old Trafford

Joining Manchester United in 2006

After playing two seasons for Spartak Moscow, Vidić joined Manchester United. He signed on December 25, 2005, for about £7 million. He officially joined the club on January 5, 2006. Manchester United had wanted him for two and a half years. Other clubs, like Fiorentina in Italy, also wanted to sign him. But United managed to get him.

Vidić wore the number 15 shirt. He played his first game for United on January 25, 2006. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup semi-final. On February 26, 2006, Vidić won his first trophy with United. He played in the last few minutes of the 2006 League Cup final against Wigan Athletic. United won the match.

Becoming a Star in 2006–07

Vidić playing for Manchester United in 2006

During the 2006–07 Premier League season, Vidić became a key player. He formed a strong partnership with Rio Ferdinand in the middle of the defence. This partnership became one of the best in European football. In his first full season at Manchester United, he played 25 games in the Premier League. He ended the season by winning his first league title.

Vidić scored his first goal for United on October 14, 2006, against Wigan Athletic. United won that game 3–1. He scored his second goal on November 4 in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth. This was his first goal at United's home stadium, Old Trafford. He also scored his first Champions League goal against Benfica on December 6. United won that match 3–1.

Winning More Trophies in 2007–08

On November 8, 2007, Vidić signed a new five-year contract. This kept him at Manchester United until 2012. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he won his second Premier League medal. He also helped the team win the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea. This was his first European trophy. During the 2007–08 season, he played 32 league games and scored one goal.

Amazing Defence in 2008–09

Vidić receiving a red card in a Premier League match against Liverpool in 2009

In the 2008–09 season, Vidić was very important for United's defence. He played in every league game. United set a record by keeping 14 clean sheets (not letting the other team score) in a row in Premier League matches. Vidić was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. He was a favorite to win, but his teammate Ryan Giggs won it. Vidić was later named Manchester United Fans' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

Captaincy and Injuries: Later Years at United

On July 23, 2010, Vidić signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United. This ended rumors that he might move to Real Madrid. The new four-year contract was signed on August 20. On September 11, he scored his first goal of the season against Everton. The game ended in a dramatic 3–3 draw.

After captaining Manchester United for the first five games of the 2010–11 season, manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that Vidić was the new permanent team captain. On October 30, Vidić scored his first home goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. This was the 1,000th Premier League goal scored at Old Trafford. On May 8, 2011, Vidić scored against Chelsea in a 2–1 win. This helped United win a record 19th Premier League title the following week.

In August 2011, Vidić started the season in the 2011 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. He had to leave the game at half-time due to injury. A week later, he got a calf injury in the first Premier League game. This injury kept him out for five weeks. On December 7, 2011, Vidić twisted his knee during a Champions League game. The injury was serious, and he missed the rest of the season.

Vidić returned to play on August 20, 2012. On September 25, 2012, he was ruled out for eight weeks with another knee injury. He returned to play on December 15. On January 13, 2013, he scored a goal against Liverpool. Vidić played in 22 league games that season. Manchester United won its 13th Premier League title.

On February 7, 2014, Vidić announced he would leave Manchester United at the end of the 2013–14 season. He said he would not play for another English club because Manchester United was the only one he wanted to play for there. He played his last home game for Manchester United on May 6 against Hull City. He received three standing ovations from the fans.

Inter Milan and Retirement

In 2014, Inter Milan announced that Vidić would join them in July 2014. He played his first game for Inter on July 30, 2014, against his old team, Manchester United. He scored in the penalty shootout, but Inter lost. In his first official game, he was sent off for arguing with the referee.

On September 18, Vidić was named man of the match for his performance against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. Inter won 1–0. Later, he scored his first goal for Inter on January 11, 2015, in a 3–1 win over Genoa. He scored with a header. Due to injuries to other defenders and his good play, Vidić became a regular starter again.

On January 18, 2016, his contract with Inter Milan ended. Eleven days later, on January 29, Vidić announced he was retiring from football right away.

International Career: Playing for His Country

Vidić played for Yugoslavia's youth teams. He made his first senior international appearance on October 12, 2002, against Italy. This was during UEFA Euro 2004 qualification.

Vidić was part of the "Famous Four" defence for Serbia and Montenegro. This defence, with Mladen Krstajić, Ivica Dragutinović, and Goran Gavrančić, only let in one goal in ten 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. This set a new record. Vidić played a big part in the last qualification game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia and Montenegro won 1–0 and qualified for the World Cup. However, Vidić received a red card five minutes before the end of the game. Because of this red card, Vidić missed Serbia and Montenegro's first game at the 2006 World Cup. On June 12, 2006, he injured his left knee during training. So, he could not play in any games at the 2006 World Cup.

After the World Cup, Vidić continued to play for the national team, which was now called the Serbia national team. He played regularly during 2010 World Cup qualifying. He helped Serbia finish first in their group, ahead of teams like France. Serbia had the best defensive record of all the teams in the group. However, Serbia did not do well at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They finished last in their group. In a game against Germany, Vidić gave away a penalty. But the goalkeeper, Vladimir Stojković, saved the shot.

On October 11, 2011, Vidić missed a very important penalty kick against Slovenia. On October 24, 2011, Vidić announced he was retiring from the Serbia national team. He made this decision because of negative comments from fans about his performances.

Style of Play: How Nemanja Vidić Played Football

Nemanja Vidić was known as a "no-nonsense" defender. He was a "tough" centre-back who was famous for his strong physical challenges. Many people thought he was one of the best centre-backs in the world. He was very consistent in defence and always knew where to be. He was also very strong and good at heading the ball, which made him a threat to score goals from set pieces.

He formed a great defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand at Manchester United. Ferdinand was more mobile and technical, while Vidić focused on defending. Vidić did not often carry the ball forward or try to pass out from the back. His Manchester United teammates praised his aggressive defensive style. The media also admired his bravery on the field. Fans loved him, and he was often compared to former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce, who had similar qualities.

Even though he was mainly a centre-back, Vidić could also play as a right-back sometimes. For example, he played there in the 2009 League Cup Final. His main weakness was his speed, especially later in his career. But he made up for this with his excellent positioning and smart decisions.

When Vidić retired, his former teammate Robin van Persie said, "Nemanja puts his head where other players are scared to put their feet." This shows how brave and fearless he was.

Personal Life: Nemanja Vidić's Family

On July 17, 2005, Vidić married Ana Ivanović. She was an economics student at the University of Belgrade. They have three sons named Luka, Stefan, and Petar.

Career Statistics

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Serbia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vidić goal.

List of international goals scored by Nemanja Vidić

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 August 2005	Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine	13	Poland	2–3	2–3	Valeriy Lobanovskyi Memorial Tournament
2	15 November 2006	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	22	Norway	1–0	1–1	Friendly

Honours: Trophies and Awards

Red Star Belgrade

• First League of Serbia and Montenegro: 2003–04
• FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2001–02, 2003–04

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
• FA Community Shield: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08; runner-up: 2008–09, 2010–11
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Individual Awards

• FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2009, 2011
• ESM Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11
• PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07 Premier League, 2007–08 Premier League, 2008–09 Premier League, 2010–11 Premier League
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2008–09, 2010–11
• Premier League Player of the Month: January 2009
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12)
  • Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons (Public choice)
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2008–09
• Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09
• Best Sportsman of SD Crvena Zvezda: 2002
• Serbian Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2008
• Serbia's Overseas Player of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010

See also

In Spanish: Nemanja Vidić para niños