Biography
Who is Vanja Milinković-Savić?
Early life and family
Vanja Milinković-Savić was born on February 20, 1997, in Ourense, Spain. His father, Nikola Milinković, was a professional football player, while his mother, Milana Savić, worked as a professional basketball player. He grew up with a sibling, Sergej Milinković-Savić, who plays as a midfielder for Al Hilal. Being raised in a family of professional athletes influenced his career path from a young age.
Standing 202 centimeters tall, he possesses the physical stature often associated with top-tier goalkeeping. His roots and familial connections to sports provided a foundation for his development as a professional athlete.
Club career beginnings
In April 2014, Vanja signed his first professional contract with the Serbian club FK Vojvodina, committing to a three-year deal. Shortly after, in May 2014, Premier League club Manchester United announced an agreement for his transfer, though he remained at Vojvodina on loan for the following season. The transfer deal was officially completed in August 2014 for a fee of 1.75 million euros.
His competitive debut for Vojvodina occurred on August 10, 2014, in a match against OFK Beograd where he kept a clean sheet. He was the primary goalkeeper for 15 league matches during the first half of the 2014-15 season. Later in the season, he served as a backup to Srđan Žakula. Due to difficulties obtaining a work permit in England, he was released by Manchester United in November 2015 and signed with the Polish club Lechia Gdańsk.
Italian football and loan spells
Vanja Milinković-Savić moved to Serie A club Torino following an announcement on January 30, 2017. He joined the team officially on July 1 of that year. While at Torino, he often served as a backup to Salvatore Sirigu in league play but was the starting goalkeeper for the national cup. During a Coppa Italia match against Carpi, he especially hit the crossbar with a free-kick.
Throughout his time with Torino, he went on several loan spells to gain match experience. He spent time with SPAL starting in July 2018, joined the Serie B side Ascoli in January 2019, and moved to the Belgian club Standard Liège in June 2019. In 2021, Torino extended his contract until June 2024. Most recently, on July 26, 2025, he joined Napoli on a loan deal for the 2025-26 season, which included a conditional obligation to buy for 21 million euros.
International play and honours
Vanja has represented Serbia at multiple youth levels, including the U17, U19, and U20 national teams. He was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he served as a backup to Predrag Rajković. He also participated in the 2014 UEFA Under-19 Championship.
His senior national team debut occurred on November 11, 2021, during a friendly match against Qatar. He was later selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he played in all three group stage matches against Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland. He was also named to the squad for UEFA Euro 2024. Among his honours, he won the 2025-26 Supercoppa Italiana with Napoli and received the Serie A Fair Play Moment of the Season award for the same campaign.
Birthday and age
Vanja Milinković-Savić was born on February 20, 1997, which makes Vanja 29 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Vanja shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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