Nemanja Vidic is a professional footballer, who was born on October 21, 1981 in Uzice, Serbia. He married his girl friend Ana Ivanovic, and they have a son, Luka.
On October 12, 2002, Nemanja Vidic made his senior debut in a game against Italy in the qualifying round of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro 2004. Along with Mladen Krstajic, Ivica Dragutinovic and Goran Gavrancic, Nemanja Vidic is a proud member of the Serbian and Montenegrin national team’s “Famous Four” defenders. In the final qualifying match of the Euro 2004 against Bosnia-Herzegovina, he played a crucial role in his country 1-0 win. After the 2006 World Cup, Nemanja Vidic went on to play for the Serbian national team.
After spending brief periods with youth clubs like Jedinstvo Užice, Sloboda Užice and Red Star Belgrade, Nemanja Vidic began his senior football career at Spartak Subotica in 2000. He returned to Red Star Belgrade and played regularly in the top flight of the Yugoslav League and was a part of the team that won the 2001-02 Yugoslav Cup. Owing to his outstanding performances, Nemanja Vidic was named the captain, and he led the team to clinch the 2004 Serbia and Montenegro League and Serbia and Montenegro Cup trophies. During his tenure, he played in 67 matches and scored 12 goals and rounded up his tenure at Red Star Belgrade by leading the club to a domestic double.
In July 2004, Nemanja Vidic joined Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow for an unrevealed transfer fee. After playing two seasons with the club and winning the ‘Serbia’s Overseas Player of the Year’ award in 2005, he moved to Manchester United. On January 5, 2006, he signed a two and a half years contract with the club. Later that month, he made his debut for the club as a substitute for Ruud van Nistelrooy, a team-mate, in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup against Blackburn Rovers; his team won 2-1. He completed his first season with 25 appearances in the Premier League and eventually won his first league medal. In October 2006, Nemanja Vidic scored his first goal for the team in a 3-1 win against Wigan Athletic and netted his first Champions League goal in a 3-1 win against SL Benfica in December 2006. After his impressive performances with Manchester United, he won the ‘Serbia’s Overseas Player of the Year’ award for the second time in 2007.
Owing to his physical presence, heading ability in both defense and at attacking set pieces, Nemanja Vidic is nicknamed Vida by his Manchester United teammates. For two consecutive seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08), he was named in the ‘Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Premiership Team of the Season’. Nemanja Vidic was also nominated for the 2006-07 and the 2007-08 UEFA European Club Defender of the Year and the 2006-07 Fédération Internationale Des Associations de Footballeurs Professionels (FIFPro) World XI player award.
With Nemanja Vidic in the squad, Manchester United won the Carling Cup (2006) and the FA Community Shield (2007, 2008). He was a part of the team when Manchester United won the Barclays Premier League for two seasons (2006-07, 2007-08) and finished runners-up in 2006. In 2008, Manchester United with Nemanja Vidic on its side won the UEFA Champions League.
Nemanja Vidic signed a new extension contract with Manchester United on November 8, 2007 that would keep him with the club until 2012. In his second season, 2007-08, he earned his second Premier League medal after making 32 appearances and also won his first UEFA Champions League medal.
