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 | 78 | (7) |
National team‡ | |||
2012–2013 | Croatia U16 | 8 | (1) |
2013 | Croatia U17 | 8 | (1) |
2014 | Croatia U18 | 2 | (1) |
2015 | Croatia U19 | 3 | (0) |
2015– | Croatia U21 | 4 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 August 2016 |
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.
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.
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, 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, 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. That season, Vlašić went on to make 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.