Biography
Who is Vedad Ibišević?
Early life and education
Vedad Ibišević was born in Vlasenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the area was still part of SFR Yugoslavia. As conflict began, his family sought safety as refugees in Tuzla. They remained there until 2000, when they moved to Switzerland. During his time in Switzerland, he signed with FC Baden in Canton Aargau. However, the family stayed for only ten months before moving to St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States.
In St. Louis, his talent became clear. Following his senior season in 2002, Soccer America named him one of the top 25 recruits in the country. He played high school soccer at Roosevelt High School. He later enrolled at Saint Louis University to play college soccer. In his freshman year, he recorded 18 goals and four assists in 22 games for the Billikens. His performance earned him the title of NCAA Freshman of the Year and first-team All-American status. During these college years, he also gained experience in the Premier Development League with the St. Louis Strikers and Chicago Fire Premier.
Professional club career
Vahid Halilhodžić, the Bosnian manager of Paris Saint-Germain, spotted Vedad during training and signed him to the French team. He received limited playing time initially and went on loan to the second-division club Dijon. In May 2006, he signed a three-year contract with Alemannia Aachen. By July 2007, he moved to 1899 Hoffenheim. He helped the club achieve promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history. During the 2008-09 season, he was in excellent form, recording 18 goals and seven assists in 17 games before a cruciate ligament injury sidelined him.
Vedad later moved to VfB Stuttgart on January 25, 2012. He made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal for the club against Hertha BSC on February 11, 2012. During his time with Stuttgart, he scored well-known hat-tricks, including one against his former team, Hoffenheim, in 2013. In August 2014, he signed a contract extension with Stuttgart that lasted until 2017. Later, he joined Hertha BSC on loan in 2015 and finalized a permanent transfer in July 2016. In 2016, coach Pál Dárdai named him team captain. He reached a milestone of 100 Bundesliga goals in November 2016, becoming only the sixth foreign player to achieve this. He concluded his playing career after a short stint with Schalke 04 in 2020.
International achievements
Vedad Ibišević represented the Bosnia and Herzegovina under-21 team, appearing in five games and scoring one goal. He made his senior international debut on March 24, 2007, as a starter in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Norway. Throughout his career, he earned 83 caps and scored 28 goals for his country until 2018.
His most historic contribution came during the qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored the goal that secured Bosnia and Herzegovina's first-ever spot in a major international tournament. Also, he scored the first goal for his nation during the World Cup itself. Another highlight of his international tenure included scoring a hat-trick against Liechtenstein in September 2012.
Birthday and age
Vedad Ibišević was born on August 6, 1984, which makes Vedad 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Vedad shares the date with 28 other famous people.
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