Joško Gvardiol

About

Joško Gvardiol (Croatian pronunciation: [jôʃko ɡʋârdioːl]; born 23 January 2002) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Premier League club Manchester City and the Croatia national team. Gvardiol is known for his on-pitch composure, precise passing, and defensive capabilities.
A product of Dinamo Zagreb youth academy, Gvardiol made his professional debut for the club in 2019, and went on to win two league titles as well as the Croatian Cup. He moved to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in 2021, where he won two DFB-Pokals before he was signed by Manchester City in 2023 for £77 million, making him the most expensive defender in footballing history.
A former Croatian youth international, Gvardiol made his debut for the senior team in 2021. He represented them at the UEFA European Championship in 2020 and 2024, and the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and 2026. At his first World Cup in 2022, he helped the team secure third place, earning his first World Cup medal.

Gvardiol was born on 23 January 2002 in Srednjaci, a neighbourhood of Zagreb, Croatia, where he was raised. His father, Tihomir, a native of Novigrad near Zadar, works…