Dejan Stefanović

Dejan Stefanović
Дејан Стефановић
Personal information
Date of birth (1974-10-28) 28 October 1974
Place of birth Vranje, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
 Retired
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Red Star Belgrade 46 (9)
1995–1999 Sheffield Wednesday 66 (4)
1999 Perugia 0 (0)
2000 OFK Belgrade 0 (0)
2000–2003 Vitesse Arnhem 94 (4)
2003–2007 Portsmouth 112 (3)
2007–2008 Fulham 13 (0)
2008–2009 Norwich City 12 (0)
2010– 2011 Havant & Waterlooville 44 (3)
Total 343 (20)
National team‡
1995–2004 FR Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro 20 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:00, 8 November 2008 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 09:14, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

Dejan Stefanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Стефановић), (born 28 October 1974 in Vranje, Serbia) is a retired Serbian football player.

Early life

While growing up, Stefanović supported Milan and idolized defender Franco Baresi, which inspired him to become a footballer.[1]

Football career

Red Star Belgrade

Stefanović began his career in his home town with Dinamo Vranje before being signed by Red Star Belgrade. Whilst at the club he made his international debut for FR Yugoslavia, aged 20, against Hong Kong in January 1995.[2]

Sheffield Wednesday

During the 1995-96 season, English club Sheffield Wednesday signed Stefanović and his compatriot, striker Darko Kovačević. Stefanović cost the English club £2 million. However, Stefanović struggled to break into the Wednesday side with Emerson Thome and Des Walker among those ahead of him in the pecking order.

In 1998-99, after playing 72 games for the club, Stefanović was released on a free transfer.

Perugia and OFK Belgrade

Stefanović signed for Perugia, but failed to make a league appearance for the club. He soon returned to Serbia with OFK Belgrade.

Vitesse

Stefanović moved to his third club of the 1999-00 season when transferring to Vitesse Arnhem of the Netherlands. He quickly became a first team regular, and spent four years at the club, becoming captain during that time. At Vitesse he played six UEFA Cup matches.

Portsmouth

At the start of the 2003-04 season, Stefanović returned to England with Premiership newcomers Portsmouth for £1.85 million.[3] He established himself as a first-choice defender during the club's first season in the top-flight, and was a regular in the 2004-05 campaign, winning the fans' Player of the Season award.[4] He was made Portsmouth captain by Alain Perrin in the 2005-006 season, although a dip in form and a habit of speaking out to the press earned him the ire of some supporters. Indeed, he confessed to "not giving 100%" under Perrin due to disliking the French coach, comments criticised as highly unprofessional by some fans.

Stefanović's influence on chairman (and fellow Serbian) Milan Mandarić is said to have been an important factor in the dismissal of Perrin and the re-appointment of Harry Redknapp, and he was an important member of the side that ensured Premiership survival at Wigan in the penultimate game of the season.

Stefanović was converted to a left-back at the start of 2006-07 and was a mainstay of the defence that performed so well for Portsmouth during the season. However, the arrivals of Hermann Hreiðarsson and Sylvain Distin during the summer of 2007 cast his position as a first team regular into doubt and he was replaced as captain by Sol Campbell for the 2007-08 season.

Fulham

In August 2007, Scottish club Rangers revealed an interest in signing Stefanović[5] but he signed for Fulham.[6]

Norwich City

Having spent less than a year at Craven Cottage, Stefanović dropped down a division to join Norwich City on 18 July 2008, agreeing a two-year deal.[7] After twelve starts for the Canaries, during which he picked up one red card, Stefanović ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments and didn't play again for Norwich City in the 2008-09 season.

In August 2009, it was reported that Stefanović was in negotiations to leave Norwich, with the player wishing to return to the south of England.[8] On 1 September 2009, his contract was terminated by mutual consent.[9]

Retirement and return to football

Stefanovic retired in late 2009 due to a knee injury. He remained living in the Portsmouth area and on one occasion admitted his dreams of managing Portsmouth one day.[10]

On 7 October 2010 Stefanovic joined Havant & Waterlooville as a player-coach.[11]

Career statistics

[12]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Serbia League Cup League Cup Continental Total
1992–93Red Star BelgradeFirst League20
1993–94140
1994–95309
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1995–96Sheffield WednesdayPremier League600000--60
1996–972921010--302
1997–982020010--212
1998–991102100--131
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1999–00PerugiaSerie A00
Serbia League Cup League Cup Continental Total
1999-00OFK BeogradFirst League00
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
1999-00VitesseEredivisie140000000140
2000–01271000000271
2001–02253000000253
2002–03271000060271
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2003–04PortsmouthPremier League3233020--373
2004–053202020--360
2005–062802010--310
2006–072000000--200
2007–08FulhamPremier League1302000--150
2008–09Norwich CityChampionship120
Total Serbia 469
England 191712170002108
Italy 00
Netherlands 944
Career total 33120

International career

Stefanović is a full Serbian international, earning his first call-up in 1995 (the country was then known as Yugoslavia, changing to Serbia and Montenegro in 2003). He has a total of 20 caps to his name. Stefanović retired from international football in 2004.

References

  1. ↑ "Dejan Stefanović on Past, Present, Future". Fulham Official Website. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Dejan Stefanovic Profile
  3. ↑ "Pompey seal Stefanovic deal". BBC Sport. 20 June 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  4. ↑ "Dejan Stefanovic". The Portsmouth News. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  5. ↑ "Smith reveals Stefanovic interest". BBC Sport. 22 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  6. ↑ "Fulham complete Stefanovic deal". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  7. ↑ "FULHAM DUO JOIN CITY". Norwich City FC. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  8. ↑ "Stefanovic asks to leave Canaries". BBC Sport. 6 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  9. ↑ "Stefanovic to leave Carrow Road". BBC Sport. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  10. ↑ "Stefanovic: One day my vision is to be Pompey boss". Portsmouth News. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  11. ↑ "Dejan Stefanovic out of retirement to join Havant and Waterlooville as player-coach". Daily Mail. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  12. ↑ STEFANOVIĆ (Dejan Stefanović) – Norwich City and Serbia
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Arjan de Zeeuw		 Portsmouth F.C. captain
2005–2007 		Succeeded by
Sol Campbell
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