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Georgiou Kinkladze

Georgi Kinkladze
Portrait of a man in his 30s
Kinkladze at Rubin Kazan in 2005
Personal information
Date of birth (1973-07-06) 6 July 1973 (age 43)
Place of birth Tbilisi, Georgia
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
1979–1989 Dinamo Tbilisi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1991 Mretebi Tbilisi 80 (18)
1991–1995 Dinamo Tbilisi 65 (41)
1993 Saarbrücken (loan) 11 (0)
1994 Boca Juniors (loan) 3 (0)
1995–1998 Manchester City 106 (20)
1998–2000 Ajax 12 (0)
1999–2000 Derby County (loan) 13 (1)
2000–2003 Derby County 80 (6)
2004–2005 Anorthosis 22 (2)
2005–2006 Rubin Kazan 13 (2)
Total 405 (90)
National team
1992–2005 Georgia 54 (8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Georgi Kinkladze (Georgian: გიორგი ქინქლაძე; born 6 July 1973), also spelled Georgiou, or Giorgi, or shortened to Gio, is a Georgian former footballer, who played as a playmaking midfielder. Born in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, his first professional club was Mretebi Tbilisi. In Georgia he won three league titles and two cups with Dinamo Tbilisi, and was named national player of the year twice. He first came to international prominence with his performances for the Georgian national team against Wales in 1994 and 1995.

Kinladze transferred from Dinamo Tbilisi to English Premier League club Manchester City in 1995, where his dribbling ability and spectacular goals made him a cult hero, winning the club's Player of the Year award in two consecutive seasons. Kinkladze stayed with Manchester City despite relegation to the Football League First Division in 1996, but the club continued to decline, and after a second relegation in 1998 he joined Dutch champions Ajax. Kinkladze was unable to settle in the Netherlands, and returned to England with Derby County a little over a year later. He spent four years at Derby, making nearly 100 appearances. After leaving Derby in 2003, he became a journeyman footballer, having unsuccessful trials at several clubs before joining Cypriot club Anorthosis in 2004, where he won a league championship medal. He finished his playing career with Russian club Rubin Kazan in 2006.


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