Zdravko Šimić Explained

Zdravko Šimić
Fullname:Zdravko Šimić
Birth Date:1977 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Rijeka, Croatia
Years1:1996–1999
Years2:1999–2004
Years3:2005
Years4:2006–2007
Years5:2008
Years6:2010
Years7:2011
Years8:2011-2013
Clubs8:Opatija
Currentclub:Sengkang Punggol
Clubnumber:10
Position:Midfielder
Caps1:49
Goals1:4
Caps2:131
Goals2:24
Caps3:15
Goals3:2
Caps4:28
Goals4:9
Nationalyears1:1991–1992
Nationalyears2:1993–1994
Nationalyears3:1995–1996
Nationalteam3:Croatia U-19
Nationalcaps1:8
Nationalgoals1:3
Nationalcaps2:12
Nationalgoals2:3
Nationalcaps3:8
Nationalgoals3:1
Pcupdate:21 May 2008
Ntupdate:21 May 2008

Zdravko Šimić (born 8 September 1977) is a former Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sengkang Punggol of the Singapore S-League. He can play in both the defensive and offensive midfielder positions, and is the captain of his current club.

Club career

Šimić started his senior footballing career in his native Croatia, playing for his local club H.N.K. Rijeka.[1]

He then moved to N.K. Pomorac where he became a more regular feature in the team's setup, helping them to win promotion to the Prva HNL (Croatian First Football League) in 2002.

In 2005, he was sold to then-Malaysian Super League club Sabah FA, where he could not help his club to avoid relegation, and in 2006, he returned home to Croatia to play for N.K. Draga.

Within two years, Šimić was on his way back to Southeast Asia, this time to Singapore where he is currently playing for Sengkang Punggol as a midfielder and its captain.

On 21 May 2008, Šimić scored his first goal for Sengkang against the Young Lions in dramatic fashion. He stepped up to take a penalty kick, subsequently blasting his effort over the bar, but the referee, Sukhbir Singh, ruled that the Cubs' defenders had stepped into the box before the kick was taken, and called for a retake. Šimić then scored from the spot on his second try. It was his first goal in the S.League, as well as Sengkang's first win in the season since it began.

International career

Šimić had a short stint playing for the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 teams of the Croatia national team. There, he played alongside current Croatia national team stars Igor Tudor (Hajduk Split) and Dario Šimić (AS Monaco).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1HNL.net. Zdravko Šimić. 2008-12-29.