Tottenham Hotspur sign Croatian goalkeeper on loan
Tottenham Hotspur have made a transfer deadline day signing after they secured the services of Stipe Pletikosa. The goalkeeper has joined the English Premier League side on a season-long loan from Spartak Moscow.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has been looking to snap up the 31-year-old Croatia international all summer and finally signed him today.
Pletikosa stated his career with his hometown club Hajduk Split. He came through the youth ranks there and made his debut in 1996. He was part of the team’s league-winning side in 2001. Pletikosa also won two Croatian Cups during his six years playing at first-team level with Hajduk. He played for the club 172 times and scored six goals, all from the penalty spot.
Player of the Year
His stellar performances during the 2001-02 season saw him win the award for Croatian Player of the Year. He was also a two-time winner of the Heart of Hajduk award, after being named by the supporters’ association Torcida Split as their player of the season in the 1999-2000 and 2001-02 campaigns.
The goalkeeper then moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2003. He helped the club win the Ukrainian Cup in the 2003-04 season and aided his side as they won the league championship in the 2004-05 season. However, Pletikosa was not there for the 2005-06 league win as he was loaned back to Hajduk Split. In four seasons with the Ukrainian side, he made 29 league appearances.
In 2007, the player made the switch to Spartak where he has made 63 league appearances to date. Pletikosa has not yet won silverware with the Russian giants, but helped them to a third-place finish in the league in the Russian Premier League in 2009.
Pletikosa has also featured for his country at every level from Under-15. For the senior team, he has played in 80 matches and was part of the Croatia squad for the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, as well as the UEFA 2008 European Football Championship.
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