Vedran Ćorluka (IPA: [ʋedran ʨorluka]) (born February 5, 1986) is a Croatian football defender who currently plays for English Premier League team Manchester City.

Ćorluka was born in Modran, a small village near Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Yugoslavia, but it was officially said he was born in Doboj because his village Modran was closer to Doboj Hospital.[1] He started to play football in Dinamo Zagreb's youth teams when he was eight. Ćorluka's professional career started in 2003 but during that season he didn't make an appearance for the first team. He was sent on loan to Inter Zaprešić and played one season for them, helping the team to second place in the league, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005.

He also started to play for the Croatian under-21 team and came close to the country's full national side, for which he soon made his debut in the friendly match against world champions Italy on August 16, 2006 in Livorno, Italy. Croatia won the match 2–0 and Ćorluka, who entered the game in second half, satisfied critics with his very good, solid performance against experienced Serie A forwards.

Ćorluka was signed by Manchester City on 2 August 2007.^[1][2]

Manchester City have not revealed the fee, but reports from Croatia say the deal is worth around £8 million. The 21-year-old has penned a five-year deal.^[3]

Notes

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