Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol reveals he almost gave up football for basketball | OneFootball

Josko Gvardiol (23) might now be one of the world’s most coveted defenders, but his path to Manchester City nearly ended before it began. The £77m Croatia international, the second-most expensive defender of all time, has revealed he once came close to abandoning football altogether in favour of basketball.

As a frustrated 16-year-old struggling for minutes at Dinamo Zagreb, Gvardiol admitted he had “lost joy” for the game. “When you go to training and you’re not happy anymore, you start looking for other solutions,” he told BBC Sport. “All my friends were playing basketball. I wasn’t sure about football anymore.”

Patience proved pivotal. Gvardiol broke into Dinamo’s first team, winning consecutive league titles before a £16m move to RB Leipzig, then a record fee for a Croatian teenager. Two stellar seasons in the Bundesliga later, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City came calling in 2023.

Gvardiol has become integral to Guardiola’s evolving backline, capable of excelling at both centre-back and left-back. After a relentless 2024 season that saw him play over 6,000 minutes for club and country, he remains a model of durability and ambition. “No matter what, I just wanted to play,” he said.

Having returned to his natural centre-back role, City’s defensive stability has markedly improved. Former striker Ellen White praised his renewed partnership with Rúben Dias, calling it “the foundation” of City’s resurgence.

GFN | Finn Entwistle