Gvardiol Considered Basketball Before Manchester City Move

Manchester City’s defender, Josko Gvardiol, revealed in a recent interview that he once contemplated abandoning his football career during his time with Dinamo Zagreb. He considered transitioning to basketball instead.

The Croatian player, who became one of the world’s most valuable defenders following his £77 million transfer to Manchester City in 2023, confessed that he briefly lost enthusiasm for football as a teenager.

Before his high-profile move to the Premier League, Gvardiol had established himself at RB Leipzig, but this was only after overcoming a challenging period in Zagreb.

He joined Dinamo Zagreb’s youth setup in 2010, but struggled to secure regular playing time as he progressed through the youth ranks. At 16, he seriously considered quitting football altogether.

Gvardiol stated, “I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well. I wasn’t sure about football anymore because when you get to the training ground, you don’t feel happy anymore, you know?”

Fortunately, Gvardiol decided to persist with football. He broke into Dinamo’s first team and subsequently won consecutive league titles. He concluded his time there with a league and cup double before securing a £16 million transfer to RB Leipzig, which set a record fee for a Croatian teenager.

During his time in Germany, he made 87 appearances over two seasons, which helped him secure his move to Manchester City.

Reflecting on his journey, Gvardiol mentioned that he always aspired to become a professional footballer but never envisioned attaining such a high level.

He said, “My dream was to become a professional football player, but I didn’t know that I was going to go that far.”
“If you go back five years and ask me if I saw myself at Manchester City in 2023, 2024, or 2025, I would have said there was no chance, it was impossible.”

Gvardiol, now 23, has scored more Premier League goals than any other defender since joining City.

Last season, he played in 55 of City’s 61 matches, featuring as both a centre-back and a left-back. He has recently been utilized as a left-sided centre-back during the club’s current five-game unbeaten run.