Dimitar Berbatov

At 43 years old, Dimitar Berbatov has this physical status:

Club career

Berbatov began his youth with Pirin, where his talent was discovered and he scored 77 goals for their reserve team in 92 appearances. After being spotted by scout and boss Dimitar Penev in 1998, Berbatov joined the youth team of his father's former club, CSKA Sofia. He signed his first professional contract with the club and made his debut during the 1998–99 season, at the age of 18. At the end of the season, he won the Bulgarian Cup with CSKA. Berbatov's first game in Europe came in September 1999, defeating his childhood club Newcastle United; it was during this season, 1999–2000, that he began to make his name; scoring 14 goals in 27 league matches. Berbatov scored five goals in an 8-0 home victory over Constructorul Chişinău in a UEFA Cup first qualifying round match on August 24, becoming the first CSKA Sofia player to accomplish this feat in a single match in the European tournaments. Berbatov nearly signed for Lecce in June 2000, just passing a medical before the move fell at the last minute.

During the first half of the 2000–01 season, a run of nine goals in eleven games was enough to convince German club Bayer Leverkusen to pay €1.3 million to join a four-year deal with Berbatov. Berbatov started with the club's reserve team in the Oberliga Nordrhein and scored six goals in seven appearances before being promoted to the first team. He made his team debut against D.C. United in a 4–3 pre-season friendly victory, scoring a hat-trick. In a 4–1 victory over 1, Ulf Kirsten made his league debut for the first team on February 10, 2001, defeating Ulf Kirsten in a 4–1 victory. FC Köln. Berbatov discovered himself being used as a substitute by boss Berti Vogts, making six appearances and scoring no goals as Leverkusen finished fourth and qualified for the UEFA Champions League next season.

Berbatov scored 16 goals and made important contributions to the club's Champions League campaign over the next season, winning by 4–2 over England club Liverpool in the quarter-finals before Leverkusen advanced to the final. Berbatov came on as a replacement for Thomas Brdari after 38 minutes, before Leverkusen lost 2–1. Leverkusen also finished runners-up in the Bundesliga behind Borussia Dortmund, and lost the DFB-Pokal final 4–2 to Schalke 04, completing an unusual run-up finish. Berbatov earned his position as the first-choice forward during the 2002-2003 season, 2002–03, and netted his team's victory over Manchester United on September 24, 2002, a 2–1 loss for Leverkusen. In the 2004–05 Champions League, he scored 16 goals in 24 league appearances during the 2003-2004 season, before the Bulgarians raised hopes of his ability by netting 46 goals in the league over the two seasons and five times. During this period, he was associated with a number of international clubs, including Celtic, Atlético Madrid, and Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur and Bayer Leverkusen reached an understanding for Berbatov's transfer in May 2006; the fee of €16 million (£10.9 million) made him the most expensive Bulgarian footballer ever. The transfer was completed on July 1, 2006, after he was granted a British work visa. Spurs beat Bolton Wanderers 2–0 in Berbatov's first league match in England on 19 August 6, 2006, when the Spurs lost 2–0.

Berbatov's seven goals in eight European games during his debut season with Tottenham, helping the club to secure top spot in the UEFA Cup's group stage, scoring a goal against Beşiktaş during the club's third European debut in October 2006. Tottenham Hotspur defeated Sevilla 3-4 on aggregate, with him making eight appearances and seven goals. However, he took a long time to adapt to the Premier League, taking a few months to re-establish the league form he had displayed at Leverkusen. In November 2006, he put on a good showing against Wigan Athletic, scoring one and establishing the other two in a 3–1 victory for Spurs, and then began scoring regularly. He scored his first FA Cup goals on February 18, 2007, as a second-half replacement in a 4–0 victory over Fulham and netted two of the four goals. Robbie Keane, a Berbatov and Spurs teammate, was named joint winners of the Premier League Player of the Month award for April 2007, making them the first players to share the award since February 2004. He played in 33 appearances in the Premier League throughout his career, winning both the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Season award and a spot in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

In a 6–4 victory over Reading, Berbatov scored his first Premier League hat-trick on December 29, 2007, scoring four times. Spurs defeated Chelsea in the Football League Cup's first cup final on February 24, 2008; Spurs defeated Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. Tottenham went on to win the game 2–1 after extra time after Berbatov scored an equalizing penalty. He finished the season with 15 league goals. Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson was quoted in newspapers as saying he wanted to sign Berbatov; Tottenham also filed a lawsuit alleging that Manchester United had broken league rules before the 2009 season. Continuing rumors of a major bid by Ferguson's club troubled him, and Berbatov was suspended for the games against Sunderland and Chelsea in August, the season's first month.

Berbatov moved to Manchester United on September 1st, costing the club £30.75 million and signing a four-year contract. Tottenham had also accepted a bid from Manchester City, but Berbatov said after signing for United that he "would not even have heard about Manchester City." Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger, on the other hand, accused Tottenham of using the complaint to bring the Premier League to an agreement for Berbatov from Manchester United.

Berbatov made his Manchester United debut away at Liverpool with an assist for a Carlos Tevez goal, but the game was lost 2–1. In the Champions League group stage, his first two goals for the club came in a 3–0 win over Aalborg BK on the 30th of September 2008. During a 4–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, he scored his first league goals in Manchester United colours. After being chastised for missing a penalty during the 2008–09 FA Cup semi-final against Everton, which Manchester United lost by a penalty shoot-out, Alex Ferguson defended Berbatov. Berbatov scored his fifth of United's goals within minutes after being down from 2–0 down at halftime to 5–2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Berbatov became Bulgarian to play in an English Premier League championship team when Manchester United won the Premier League on May 16, 2009. Although Berbatov struggled to make a name for himself during the 2009–10 season, there was some rumors that Berbatov would leave Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson denied it.

In the 92nd minute of United's 3–1 victory over Chelsea in the 2010 Community Shield, Berbatov scored his third goal. Berbatov scored his and United's first league goal of the season in the club's first match of the season eight days later, winning by 3–0 home over Newcastle United. In a 3–2 home win over Liverpool that defeated rivals Liverpool, he scored all three of his team's goals; his second goal, an overhead kick, became a contender for the league's Goal of the Season. It was the first hat-trick against Liverpool in 64 years.

Berbatov made his 100th appearance for United on Monday in a 0–0 away league tie in the Manchester derby on October 10, 2010. He tied a five-goal game against Blackburn Rovers on 7-1 home victory, becoming the first non-Englishman to net five in a Premier League match, with Andrew Cole, Alan Shearer, and Jermain Defoe as the only players to do so. On December 20, 2010, he was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year for the seventh time.

In a 5–0 home victory over Birmingham City on January 22, Berbatov scored his third hat-trick of the season. Ruud van Nistelrooy (2002–03), the first United player to score three hat-tricks in the same season, made him the first United player since Ruud van Nistelrooy (2002–03). Berbatov was voted Europe's Most Popular Footballer among active players in January 2011 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics as Europe's Most Popular Footballer among active players for 2010. Berbatov returned as a second-half replacement for Javier Hernández against Bolton Wanderers on March 19th, scoring the winner in the 88th minute, giving United a 1–0 victory. He was dropped to the bench for games against Arsenal and Marseille. In a recent Premier League match against Fulham, where United defeated Fulham 2–0. He scored his 21st in 21st. Berbatov, the Premier League's best scorer, spent the 2010–11 season alongside Carlos Tevez. Berbatov has also received the Premier League Golden Boot award with his former Manchester United colleague. He was left out of Manchester United's Champions League squad on May 28, 2011, in which United lost 3-1 to Barcelona.

Berbatov appeared in his first game of the 2011-12 season against West Bromwich Albion as a replacement, defeating Danny Welbeck in a game in which United defeated United 21-01. Berbatov appeared off the bench against Chelsea, replacing the injured Javier Hernández. United won the game 3–1. Berbatov got off to a promising start in the season's first game of the League Cup third round, where he faces Leeds United. He played full game and was expected to play at center back for the last ten minutes; youngster Zeki Fryers sustained an injury and United had already used all three permitted substitutes. Berbatov had hoped for better luck on the night, but the game was won 3–0 by United. In a 3–0 victory over Aldershot Town in the fourth round of the League Cup on October 25, 2011, he scored his first goal and also set up a goal for Michael Owen.

Berbatov scored the equalizer in a home game against Benfica in a 2–2 draw on November 22, 2011 putting an end to his long run in the Champions League. He appeared as a second-half replacement against Fulham on December 21, 2011. He was on hand in a Premier League match against Fulham, replacing Danny Welbeck. He scored his 50th goal for Manchester United in all competitions, making him the club's 50th player to score 50 goals. This was also his first goal of the 2011-2012 Premier League season.

Berbatov defeated Wigan Athletic 5–0 on December 26, 2011, scoring a hat-trick. This was Berbatov's fourth Premier League hat trick for Manchester United and fifth overall in the division. Berbatov dragged Christopher Samba to the ground in the next league match against Blackburn Rovers. United reacted quickly in the second half after losing 2–0 behind, beating Berbatov and two goals. He directed his header past the keeper after Rafael da Silva's misspelled cross, then launched Antonio Valencia's comeback to level the game. United, on the other hand, lost the game 3–2.

Berbatov was linked with a transfer to Bayern Munich in 2012, but the rumors were quashed when Berbatov's contract was extended for another year. Berbatov scored a goal in a 2–0 league victory over Stoke City on January 31. He had scored his second goal of the night on the night.

Berbatov had signed a two-year contract with Fulham for an undisclosed fee on August 31, 2012. In a 3–0 loss to West Ham United on the following day, he made his league debut the following day, but Fulham came off the bench at halftime. In a 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion on September 15, he made his home debut and scored twice. Fulham's third goal in a 3–3 away draw with Reading on October 27th. Berbatov played 90 minutes against Arsenal on Sunday in a game in which he contributed and scored twice for yet another 3–3 draw.

Berbatov took off his shirt to reveal the words "keep calm and pass the ball" written on his vest, a salute for which he was yellow-carded and boss Martin Jol said was "not the right thing to do" after scoring against Southampton on December 26, 2012. Berbatov scored his first Premier League goal of the new year on January 1st, 2013 when he opened the scoring against West Bromwich Albion in a crucial 2–1 away victory for Fulham.

On January 30, 2013, his 32nd birthday, he scored the first in a 3–1 home win over West Ham, bringing his total number in the Premier League to eight since joining the Cottagers. He scored the first goal against Stoke City on February 23nd, and another one on March 2nd in the 2–2 draw with Sunderland. Berbatov scored his only goal against his old team in Fulham's next Premier League match against Tottenham in a thrilling 0–1 away victory over Tottenham. In a 3–2 win at Craven Cottage on April 1, 2013, Berbatov scored two goals against QPR, one of them from the penalty box. This brought his season's total score to 13 goals, as well as making him the first Fulham player to score in four straight league games since Steed Malbranque in 2003. In the penultimate game of the season, Berbatov's next goal came against Liverpool. Berbatov won by 3–0 away on the final day of the season with a goal against Swansea City. Fulham's debut season brought his total number to 15 goals.

AS Monaco had signed Berbatov to replace the injured Radamel Falcao for the remainder of the season, as per the January 2014 deadline. It was supposed to be a loan transfer at first, but Fulham later revealed that Berbatov had been released. Berbatov made his Ligue 1 debut against Paris Saint-Germain on February 9th, bringing on as a second-half replacement for Valère Germain. In the Coupe de France, his first goal was scored three days later, with a 1–0 victory over Nice. In a 2–1 home victory over Sochaux on 8 March, Berbatov scored his first goal in the league. He finished the season with 6 goals from 12 league games, but on May 16, the club announced a new one-year contract. Berbatov scored his second away goal in a 3–1 victory in the first leg of the Champions League match against Arsenal. After the club decided against renewing his deal, he departed the club on June 1st, with Monaco lauding the 34-year-old for his "character, his expertise, and his incredible talent." "He has unquestionably been one of the best strikers to have played for Monaco," Monaco president Vadim Vasilyev said. We're proud of what he did for the club and wish him the best in the future.

Berbatov had signed a one-year deal with Greek club PAOK on September 2, 2015. Ivan Savvidis, the club's owner, had been trying to bring Berbatov to the team for three years, but he finally convinced him to join. He was released after a single season on June 10, 2016.

Berbatov joined the Kerala Blasters in India's one-year contract for a salary of 75 million (roughly £900,000). On February 8, 2018, Berbatov scored his first goal against ATK. Berbatov was mostly used as a back-up or as a defensive midfielder rather than his prime position as a striker, and he said that Kerala Blasters boss David James used "absurd tactics" rather than his prime position as a striker. In March 2018, he left the club at the end of the regular season.

Berbatov announced his retirement from football on September 19th, after a year-and-a-half without a club, but he did training with Beroe Stara Zagora and CSKA 1948.

International career

Berbatov made his Bulgarian debut in 1997, aged 18, as a backup for Aleksandar Aleksandrov in a 1–0 friendly loss against Greece. In another friendly loss, 3–2 against Chile on February 12, 2000, he scored his first goal for his country, as well as representing Bulgaria at Euro 2004. Due to the team's inability to qualify for other tournaments, this was the only major tournament he participated in for his country. In 2007, he scored two goals in the final of the Cyprus International Football Tournament against the host country, Cyprus, to give Bulgaria a 3–0 victory and Berbatov his first international championship with the national team. He scored a hat-trick in the national team's 5–2 victory over Georgia in October 2009, putting him one goal behind the current top scorer for Bulgaria, Hristo Bonev; after scoring two goals against Malta during a 4–1 friendly away victory the following month, he fell one goal shy of the national team's all-time top scorer.

Berbatov captained the team from 2006 to 2010, when he announced his withdrawal from international football, leaving his total number for Bulgaria at 48 goals from 78 matches. Berbatov, Bulgaria's newly appointed head coach, Lyuboslav Penev, revealed in February 2012 that he was keen to consider leaving international service and participating in a pending friendly against Hungary. Berbatov ultimately decided against accepting a call-up for the game because he didn't feel that he was in peak form, but at the time, he did not rule out a return to the national team at some point in the future. He declared his international resignation in September 2012.

Berbatov, a charity football match in aid of the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), was announced in May 2016 in Old Trafford, as part of the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), alongside Jaap Stam, Robbie Fowler, and Jamie Carragher. In an eventual 3–2 loss to England, he scored two goals.

Career statistics

1. Other competitive competitions are included, including the FA Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.

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