When Josko Gvardiol completed his £77m move from RB Leipzig to Manchester City in August 2023, he became the second-most expensive defender in football history. Yet, as the Croatia international has now revealed, his career could easily have taken a very different path.
In an interview with BBC Sport’s Betty Glover, the 23-year-old admitted he once considered abandoning football altogether while coming through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb.
“I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well,” Gvardiol recalled.
At just 16, Gvardiol was struggling for minutes in Dinamo’s youth system and losing his passion for the game.
“I wasn’t sure about football anymore,” he said. “When you go to the training ground and you don’t feel happy, it’s difficult. I was trying to find other ways to feel better because all my friends were playing basketball.”
Fortunately, he persevered. Within a few years, Gvardiol broke into Dinamo’s first team, winning back-to-back league titles and signing off with a league and cup double before securing a £16m transfer to RB Leipzig — a record fee for a Croatian teenager.
In Germany, Gvardiol’s rapid development continued. Over two seasons, he made 87 appearances for Leipzig and established himself as one of Europe’s most promising defenders. His performances earned him a five-year contract at Manchester City, making him the most expensive defender since Harry Maguire’s £80m transfer from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019.
“My dream was always to become a professional footballer,” Gvardiol said. “But if you asked me five years ago whether I’d be at Manchester City by 2023 or 2024, I’d have said there was no chance — it felt impossible.”
Today, Gvardiol is central to Pep Guardiola’s system. Since joining, no defender has scored more goals in the Premier League, and his endurance has been remarkable — logging over 6,000 minutes for club and country last season. He featured in 55 of City’s 61 matches, missing just 140 Premier League minutes.
Even Guardiola has praised the young defender’s resilience and adaptability:
“Last season, he was one of our most important players,” the City manager said. “He’s so young, physically exceptional, and can play two roles perfectly. He listens, he learns, and that will make him even better.”
Gvardiol himself acknowledged the physical toll of his workload:
“Last season I told myself: no matter what, I just want to play and help the team. I could feel it in my body — especially in the summer — but my knee is finally good after six months.”
Despite Gvardiol’s efforts, City endured their first trophy-less campaign since 2016–17, with Guardiola often deploying him at left-back. A run of one win in 13 matches saw their season unravel before they salvaged qualification for the Champions League and reached the FA Cup final.
“Once it started, it was hard to get out of,” Gvardiol admitted. “We spoke about it many times and tried to find a solution. In the end, we managed to steady things.”
This season, City appear revitalised. After a shaky start, they are unbeaten in five league games, with Gvardiol returning to his preferred role on the left side of central defence.
“I’m happy to be back in my position,” he said. “It’s simple — defend the goal, protect the box. We have big ambitions, but the season is long. We’ll take it game by game.”
Former England and City forward Ellen White believes Gvardiol’s positional switch has been instrumental in City’s improved defensive stability:
“He did well at left-back and even scored goals,” White said. “But the stats speak for themselves — City are conceding fewer goals and facing fewer shots. His partnership with Ruben Dias, supported by Rodri in midfield and Gianluigi Donnarumma behind, is building the chemistry they lacked last season.”
From nearly walking away from football to anchoring one of Europe’s best defences, Gvardiol’s journey is a reminder of how persistence — and patience — can turn uncertainty into elite success.
