Patrick Berger
Berger in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 November 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Prague, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Left winger, Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1991 | Sparta Prague | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1995 | Slavia Prague | 90 | (24) |
| 1995–1996 | Borussia Dortmund | 27 | (4) |
| 1996–2003 | Liverpool | 149 | (28) |
| 2003–2005 | Portsmouth | 52 | (8) |
| 2005–2008 | Aston Villa | 29 | (2) |
| 2006–2007 | → Stoke City (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Sparta Prague | 23 | (6) |
| Total | 375 | (71) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994 | Czech Republic U21 | 1 | (3) |
| 1993 | Czechoslovakia | 2 | (0) |
| 1994–2001 | Czech Republic | 42 | (18) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Patrik Berger (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpatrɪk ˈbɛrɡr̩]; born 10 November 1973) is a retired Czech footballer who played as a midfielder. He started his career in his own country with Slavia Prague and spent a season in Germany playing for Borussia Dortmund. He moved to England in 1996, where he spent seven years with Liverpool, winning six trophies in his time there. This was followed by spells at Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Stoke City. He spent the last two years of his career back in his native Czech Republic playing for Sparta Prague.
Internationally, Berger played in two major tournaments for the Czech Republic. He played an important part in his nation's Euro 1996 campaign, scoring in the final as the Czech Republic finished runners-up to Germany. He took a 17-month break from the national team between 1997 and 1998 after a dispute with manager Dušan Uhrin, returning to the setup following Uhrin's departure from the post. His second and final major tournament was Euro 2000, but due to suspension and his country's early exit, he only played one game. He retired from the national team in 2002 at the age of 28 with a total of 44 senior international caps and 18 goals.
Capable of occupying midfield and forward positions, Berger became noted for his powerful strikes, surging runs, and strong left foot. Berger was beset with injuries throughout his career and received specialist treatment in the United States. He retired on 6 January 2010 due to knee injuries.
Berger was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His uncle is the Czech footballer Jan Berger. He married wife Jaroslava, and has two children, son Patrik and daughter Valentýnka. He gained a British passport in 2001 after having spent five years playing club football in England. This enabled him to play without needing a work permit, which he had previously required due to the Premier League's rules on non-EU players.
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