Nikola Tkalčić

Nikola Tkalčić
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-12-03) 3 December 1989
Place of birth Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Full back, Winger
Club information
Current team
 IFK Norrköping
Number 13
Youth career
1997–1999 NK Sloga Konjščina
1999–2008 NK Varaždin
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 NK Varaždin 37 (1)
2008–2009 → Sloboda Varaždin (loan)
2011– IFK Norrköping 93 (8)
National team‡
2008 Croatia U19 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 May 2016.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 May 2011

Nikola Tkalčić (born 3 December 1989 in Zagreb) is a Croatian football defender, currently playing for IFK Norrköping in Allsvenskan.

Career

Tkalčić started his football career in his native Konjščina, playing for the local football club NK Sloga Konjščina.[1] At the age of 10 he moved to the Varteks Varaždin academy.[2] During his first senior season he was loaned out to their fourth-tier feeder team Sloboda Varaždin, which emerged as champions of their league, before returning to Varteks Varaždin to play in the top-tier Prva HNL.[3]

A first-team regular in the 2009/2010 season, Tkalčić was sidelined for a large part of the 2010/2011 season after rupturing his frontal cruciate ligaments in the first game of the season, returning only in March 2011.[4]

Tkalčić moved to the Swedish team IFK Norrköping on the last day of the 2011 summer transfer window, missing all but two of the remaining matches of the 2011 season, the first and the last. He stated Armin Tanković was of great help for him while he was adapting to life in Sweden.[5] His following three seasons at the club would be marked by ups and downs, partly due to injury problems. He played both as full-back and winger during this period. In the 2015 season, however, Tkalčić missed only 4 matches and was a regular in the side that became the 2015 Allsvenskan champions.[6] During that period, he was IFK Norrköping's fastest player[7] and had the strongest shot with his right foot.[8] In 2016, he was thought of as the most underestimated player of the Allsvenskan.[9][10]

International career

Tkalčić was capped once for the Croatia U19 team in a 16.4.2008 friendly with Hungary U19, coming in the 59th minute of the 1-0 away win for Ivan Tomečak.[11]

Personal life

Tkalčić is an avid fan of fishing[12] and plays tennis for recreation.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Lacković, Elvis (2013-08-20). "Limači varaždina osvojili 11. "Dečec kup"". Zagorski List, no. 509. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  2. ↑ Tkalčić: Trebalo se riješiti straha at Sportnet.hr
  3. ↑ Nikola Tkalčić preko Švedske do hrvatske reprezentacije at eVaraždin
  4. ↑ Tkalčić: Trebalo se riješiti straha at Sportnet.hr
  5. ↑ Nikola Tkalčić preko Švedske do hrvatske reprezentacije at eVaraždin
  6. ↑ Nikola Tkalčić at IFK Norrköping official site
  7. ↑ Nicola Tkalčić at svenskafans.com
  8. ↑ Nikola Tkalčić at IFK Norrköping official site
  9. ↑ Allsvenskans mest underskattade slog till igen – nu vill han stanna: ”Känner mig bekväm här” at fotbolldirekt.se
  10. ↑ Nicola Tkalčić at svenskafans.com
  11. ↑ Nikola Tkalčić at Croatian Football Federation official site
  12. ↑ Tkalčić: Trebalo se riješiti straha at Sportnet.hr
  13. ↑ Nikola Tkalčić at IFK Norrköping official site

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