Biography
Who is Giorgos Samaras?
Early life
Giorgos Samaras was born in Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete on February 21, 1985. His father, Yannis Samaras, was a football player who later became a manager and academy chief. Growing up in a footballing family, Giorgos spent a lot of time behind the scenes at OFI, where his father played.
As a young boy, he joined OFI in 1994 at the age of nine. He trained every day of his childhood under the guidance of his father, which helped shape his path toward a professional sports career. Before moving abroad, he developed his skills within the Greek youth football system.
Club career
Giorgos Samaras moved to Eredivisie side Heerenveen in 2001 and broke into the first team during the 2002 to 2003 season. He scored 25 goals in 88 appearances for the Dutch club before transferring to Premier League side Manchester City in January 2006 for a fee of six million pounds. He made his debut for City against Newcastle United and scored several goals during his time in England.
After his spell in Manchester, he moved to Scottish Premier League team Celtic in 2008. During his time with Celtic, he helped the club win Scottish league championships in 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014, scoring 74 goals in 249 competitive games. Later in his career, he played for West Bromwich Albion, Al-Hilal, Rayo OKC, Real Zaragoza, and Samsunspor before retiring in 2018.
International career
Although he was eligible to play for Australia because his father was born in Melbourne, Giorgos Samaras chose to represent his country of birth, Greece. He made his debut for the Greece men's national football team in 2006 and became a regular member of the squad over the following eight years.
During his international career, he earned 81 caps and scored nine goals for his country. He represented Greece at major international tournaments including Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, and the 2014 World Cup.
Giorgos's height and personal details
Giorgos Samaras stands at a height of 192 cm. Throughout his playing career, he was known for his tall physical presence on the pitch as a forward.
Born under the Pisces zodiac sign, he grew up admiring Marco van Basten and was also a keen basketball fan who watched Michael Jordan. His grandfather was one of the founders of the Australian football side South Melbourne FC.
Birthday and age
Giorgos Samaras was born on February 21, 1985, which makes Giorgos 41 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Giorgos shares the date with 66 other famous people.
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