Nikola Vlašić

Nikola Vlašić

Personal information
Date of birth	4 October 1997
Place of birth	Split, Croatia
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Midfielder, Winger
Club information
Current team	Hajduk Split
Number	8
Youth career
2006–2009	Omladinac Vranjic
2010–2014	Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2014–	Hajduk Split	49	(4)
National team^‡
2012–2013	Croatia U16	8	(1)
2013	Croatia U17	8	(1)
2014	Croatia U18	2	(1)
2015–	Croatia U19	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 March 2016. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 November 2015

Nikola Vlašić (born 4 October 1997) is a Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Hajduk Split in the Prva HNL.

In 2014, Vlašić made list of the world's top 40 footballers born in 1997, compiled by The Guardian.^[1]

Club career

Born in Split to the family of the athletics coach Joško Vlašić, as the younger brother of the world champion high jumper Blanka Vlašić, Nikola's future football career was viewed as a "project", though not aimed at profit, by his father, who started training him personally ever since he was 4 ¹⁄₂ years old.^[2]

Vlašić went on to join the NK Omladinac Vranjic academy, before he was brought to HNK Hajduk Split, aged 12. He made his debut for the Croatia U16 national football team at the age of 14,^[3] playing regularly with older teammates at U17 and U18 levels as well. He excelled at youth club level as well, and in the 2013/2014 season he formed a potent midfield partnership for the Hajduk U17 team with Andrija Balić, which resulted in the team finishing the first half of the season in first place, without a single loss. The two then received and signed professional contracts,^[4] and were moved to the U19 team, where he played regularly.

He made his first team debut in the UEFA Europa League qualifying match on 17 July 2014, playing in the away match against Dundalk F.C.. Scoring on his debut, he became Hajduk Split's youngest scorer in international competitions, aged 16 years and 9 months, 2 months less than the previous record holder Mario Tičinović.^[5] That season, Vlašić went on to make 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.^[6]

Career statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Hajduk Split	2014–15	27	3	5	0	5	1	37	4
	2015–16	19	1	1	0	8	1	28	2
Total		46	4	6	0	13	2	65	6
Last Update: 15 December 2015[7]

References

1. "Next Generation 2014: 40 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
2. "Joško Vlašić: Nije Nikola projekt za zaradu" (in Croatian). Večernji list. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
3. "Statistics - Caps: Nikola Vlašić". Croatian Football Federation. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
4. "Potpisali Vlašić, Hairlahović i Balić: Očekujemo puno od njih" (in Croatian). 24sata. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
5. "Hajduk slavio u Irskoj: Nikola Vlašić najmlađi strijelac 'bijelih' u povijesti!" (in Croatian). Gol.hr. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
6. http://hajduk.hr/prva-momcad/nikola-vlasic/8
7. "Nikola Vlasic > Club Matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 25 May 2015.

External links

• Nikola Vlašić at Croatian Football Statistics (Croatian)
• Nikola Vlašić at hajduk.hr
• Nikola Vlašić at the Croatian Football Federation website (Croatian)