Dimitar Berbatov is marquee player of Kerala Blasters
Indian Super League: Kerala Blasters FC signed the
former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian will be a
marquee signing for the Blasters, meaning his wages will not come under the
salary cap set for every team.
The 36-year-old forward,
started playing professional football with
Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia at 17 years of age. His incredible talent was quickly
spotted by German side Bayer Leverkusen, for whom he accumulated more than 100
appearances between 2001 and 2006.
FC Pune City signed Spanish defender Rafa
FC Pune City signed Spanish defender Rafa
He then made the switch
to English Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur in a transfer that made him
the most expensive Bulgarian footballer, in the summer of 2006
Berbatov began to grab
headlines for his performances which alerted Manchester United boss, Sir Alex
Ferguson. Close to transfer deadline in the summer of 2008, Manchester United
signed the Bulgarian striker from Tottenham in a deal worth £30.75m.
Berbatov went on to make
more than 100 appearances for the Red Devils between 2008 and 2012. He shared
the Golden Boot in the 2010-11 season with Carlos Tevez, notably scoring five
goals in a match when Manchester United thrashed Blackburn Rovers 7-1.
Bengaluru FC defeat North Korean football club 4.25 SC by 3-0
Bengaluru FC defeat North Korean football club 4.25 SC by 3-0
The latest Kerala
Blasters signing then joined Fulham in 2012 where he played a few games under
Rene Meulensteen but that partnership did not last. He switched leagues to join
Monaco and then Greek side PAOK FC.
At the age of 36, he
will now undertake a new challenge along with his former teammate Wes Brow and coach in
India with the Kochi-based club.
Kerala Blasters head
coach Rene Meulensteen has now managed to rope in two of his former players to
play for him once again, so that Blasters team gears up to finally clinch the
trophy that they narrowly missed out on two occasions.
Club career
Years Team Apps(Gls)
1998–2001 CSKA Sofia 49(26)
2001 Bayer Leverkusen II 7(6)
2001–2006 Bayer Leverkusen 154(69)
2006–2008 Tottenham Hotspur 70(27)
2008–2012 Manchester United 108(48)
2012–2014 Fulham 51(19)
2014–2015 Monaco 38(13)
2015–2016 PAOK 17(4)
2017– Kerala Blasters FC 3(0)
National team
1999 Bulgaria
U18 2(2)
1999–2000 Bulgaria U21 3(3)