"They finally saw something in me" - Manchester City new star Josko Gvardiol reveals why he almost quit football
Manchester City have signed Josko Gvardiol for 77 million, with the add-ons taking the value of the deal to over £80 million. As a result, the Croat becomes the most expensive defender in the history of football. Gvardiol, however, considered quitting football to sell fish not as long ago.
Growing up through Dinamo Zagreb's youth academies, the defender had opportunities few and far between to come by. Hence, it was difficult for him to see a clear path to becoming a professional footballer. Gvardiol considered a different career path as he considered joining his father as a fishmonger.
Speaking on the matter, the former RB Leipzig player recently said (via talkSPORT):
“I was 16 or 17 and still on the bench in the youth teams. I was frustrated and, at one moment, I was thinking to leave football. By the way, I hate fish. Imagine being 16 years old and there’s only fish to eat every day at home. I want to try something else."
Gvardiol further added:
“I don’t know what happened but then afterwards I started to play and they finally saw something in me, my quality, and in one year I moved to Dinamo Zagreb’s second team. In six months I was in the first team with Dani Olmo.”
Josko Gvardiol put the world on notice through his consistent displays for Leipzig during the 2022-23 season. However, it was his rock-solid performances in the 2022 FIFA World Cup that made him a true star. Gvardiol was instrumental as Vatreni managed to secure a third-place finish during the tournament in Qatar. The 21-year-old was one of the key reasons behind Zlatko Dalic's team being a tough nut to crack in terms of their defense.
Gvardiol's career is now set for a massive step up, as he joins European champions and last season's treble winners, Manchester City.
Manchester City new signing Josko Gvardiol said Chelsea were interested in him
Since Todd Boehly's ownership group has taken over at Chelsea, the Blues have signed some of the best young talents in world football. Manchester City new boy Josko Gvardiol was also on the Stamford Bridge club's radar.
Gvardiol said that he was informed about the Blues' interest by his agent. However, Leipzig were reluctant to sell the player. Speaking on the matter, Gvardiol said:
“My agent called me and saw that Chelsea is extremely interested. Of course you definitely think about a serious offer from a huge club like Chelsea. “Leipzig said they didn’t want to sell me, in the end I really struggled with that decision but we didn’t make an agreement."
Josko Gvardiol has now joined Chelsea's Premier League rivals Manchester City. Under the watchful eyes of a master tactician like Pep Guardiola, he will have the chance to become one of the best in the world.