Darijo Srna (Croatia)

Name: Darijo Srna
Age: 31

National Team:  Croatia
Team: Shaktar Donetsk (Ukrainian League)

Position: Right back, Right winger

Description of his Game: Srna possesses just about every element of the game that makes player dangerous.  According to some, as an all-rounder, he is the best right-sided player on the planet.  But playing in Eastern Europe means that his talents go largely overlooked by many around the world. 

Darijo Srna's Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZNfYF9pF70

Career News:  Srna is the most capped player in Croatian history.  Ever since his talent stood out from a young age, his career has seen him win numerous titles, including a UEFA Cup title in 2009, 7 Ukrainian Permier League titles, 5 Ukrainian Cup titles and 5 Ukrainian Super Cup titles. He made his international debut for Croatia in 2002 and was made captain in 2009.

Interesting Personal Facts:  His father was a World War II orphan and footballer with FK Sarajevo.  As a player of Muslim heritage, he overcame a great deal of prejudice early in his career.  Having been born to a Bosnian father and  Croatian mother, Srna was often discriminated during the Yugoslav wars by his coaches.  His half-brother is a coach at Neretva and his other brother Igor has Down Syndrome, to whom Srna dedicates all his goals.  Srna often buys tickets to his games for orphans and even pays for their travel to the stadium.  'Srna' in Croatian means 'deer'.

Upcoming Matches Where You Can See Him Play:

Croatia's National Team
September 15th - Scotland (World Cup Qualifier)
Schedule:  http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/europe/matches/team=43938/index.html


Shaktar Donetsk FC (Ukrainian League)
September 17th - Real Sociedad
September 21st - Vorskla
Schedule:  http://shakhtar.com/en/matches/