Stipe Pletikosa

Stipe Pletikosa

Pletikosa with Rostov in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Stipe Pletikosa
Date of birth	(1979-01-08) 8 January 1979 (age 38)
Place of birth	Split, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1986–1996	Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2003	Hajduk Split	141	(4)
2003–2007	Shakhtar Donetsk	32	(0)
2005–2006	→ Hajduk Split (loan)	21	(0)
2007–2011	Spartak Moscow	63	(0)
2010–2011	→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	0	(0)
2011–2015	FC Rostov	110	(0)
2015–2016	Deportivo La Coruña	2	(0)
Total		369	(4)
National team
1994	Croatia U15	1	(0)
1994–1995	Croatia U16	2	(0)
1994	Croatia U17	2	(0)
1995–1997	Croatia U18	2	(0)
1995–1998	Croatia U19	14	(0)
1999	Croatia U20	5	(0)
1998–2001	Croatia U21	13	(0)
1999–2014	Croatia	114	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 May 2016.

Stipe Pletikosa (pronounced [stǐːpe plětikosa]; born 8 January 1979) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Pletikosa started his professional career with Hajduk Split in Croatia, was transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, then joined Spartak Moscow in 2007. After spending one season with Tottenham Hotspur, he returned to Russia in 2011 with FC Rostov, then moved to Deportivo de La Coruña of the Spanish Primera in 2015, where he retired. He made his international debut for Croatia in 1999, and went on to represent the country in five major tournaments. He is the second most capped player in the history of the Croatian national team after Darijo Srna, having made 114 appearances. Pletikosa retired from international football following the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Pletikosa began his career at Croatian club Hajduk Split. He was selected as first team goalkeeper for the 1998/99 season by manager Ivan Katalinić, replacing the veteran Tonči Gabrić. Hajduk fans nicknamed him 'octopus' (hobotnica) for his excellent reflexes and coordination. In 2002, he was named Večernji list Croatian player of the year, the only goalkeeper other than Zoran Simovic to have won the award.

In 2003 Pletikosa and teammate Darijo Srna transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk for €2 million. Unlike Srna, Pletikosa did not succeed at the club, and was loaned back to Hajduk Split in 2005. His second spell at Hajduk proved successful and earned him a starting place in Croatia's 2006 World Cup squad. Pletikosa returned to Shakhtar the following season, but found himself second choice to Jan Laštůvka, prompting the goalkeeper to seek a move. Shakhtar accepted a bid of €3 million from Dinamo Zagreb, but Pletikosa rejected the move due to his loyalty to Hajduk, Dinamo's biggest rivals. A loan move to Fulham also fell through as he could not gain a work permit.