Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Full Name :Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Birth Date :October 3, 1981
Birth Place :Malmö, Sweden
Height :1.91m
Weight :84 kg
Age :28
Position :Forward

Viewed as one of the world's top strikers, as well as being one of the most temperamental, Ibrahimovic made a name for himself at Inter Milan and won himself numerous personal awards at the San Siro.

Known for his strength, aerial ability and fiery personality, Ibrahimovic made himself a household name in Italy and has been compared to Dutch legend Marco Van Basten for his playing style, before he started a new chapter his career with Barcelona.

Born to a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother, Ibrahimovic grew up in Sweden and plays for the Swedish national team. He began his career at nearby Malmö FF and signed for the club in 1995, making his first-team league debut in 1999.

His performances quickly began to attract attention and Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger failed to lure him to England, before Ajax swooped in and struck a €7.8m deal with the Swedish side in July 2001.

In Amsterdam, the striker grew in stature and was able to showcase his blossoming talent on the European stage. Taking a while to settle, Ronald Koeman gave Ibrahimovic his chance and he took it with both hands, helping the side to the 2001-02 Eredivisie title.

The following season he netted five times in 12 games in the Champions League, leading Ajax to the quarter-finals. He also impressed in the league with 13 goals in the Eredivisie and even picked up a "Goal of the Year" award for his breathtaking strike against NAC Breda.

After another impressive season in Amsterdam, he was caught up in controversy as he was accused of injuring fellow Ajax team mate Rafael van der Vaart while on international duty with Sweden.

Van der Vaart was the darling of the Dutch side and the Swede lasted only three games in the 2004-05 season (scoring three goals), before he was quickly sold to Juventus. A €19m transfer fee helped to seal his departure and he settled almost immediately into the Juve side. Thanks to an injury to David Trézéguet, he was given his chance and bagged 16 goals in his first season.

Furthering his already impressive reputation, he was named Swedish footballer of the year and also received a nomination for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year award. However, the following season saw him struggle to reach the same heights. He netted seven goals, but Juve fans grew frustrated with his anonymous presence in certain important games.

Caught up in the Calciopoli scandal, Ibrahimovic was relegated to Serie B with his side (with Juventus stripped of their last two Scudetti titles), but was not keen to stay on in Turin. Moving to Internazionale for £16.7m, he signed a four-year contract in August 2006 and finished the 2006-07 season top scorer with 15 goals. Inter would win the title and he was named in UEFA's team of the year at the end of 2007.

The next season, Inter won the title again and Ibrahimovic was a key component of their success. 17 goals in 22 starts made him stand-out as one of Europe's hottest young strikers and Inter boss José Mourinho claimed that he is, for him, "the best player in the world, ahead of (Cristiano) Ronaldo" - although the quote raised some eyebrows.

With a renewed commitment, the striker started the 2008-09 season well and caught the eye with his movement and passing ability, as well as his goalscoring prowess which propelled him up to the top of the goalscoring charts in Serie A.

After one of his best seasons, he announced that he would like to seek a new challenge and agreed terms on an incredible swap deal with Samuel Eto'o that would see him become a Barcelona player for 2009-10, signing a five-year deal.