Name To Remember: Ivan Rakitic

(We’re bringing back the series.) Ivan Rakitic isn’t exactly a complete unknown, but he’s still flying under the radar when it comes to the casual fan. He’s a 19 year old attacking midfielder currently playing for Schalke 04, with a much improved haircut over their other midfield phenom. Before his move to the Bundesliga this summer, he was probably best known as one of those wunderkids who had two countries clamoring for his senior allegiances before the kid could grow a proper moustache. Unlike most, or at least it seems that way, Ivan went from playing for Switzerland at all the kiddie levels to signing on with the Croatian NT as a full fledged man; and I’m sure Croatian fans were slobbering the day he signed, imagining an eventual midfield partnership with Luka Modric. So on September 8th, he made his international debut against Estonia as a sub, and scored his first senior goal in his second ever game.

The kid started out his career back in the country of his birth with FC Basel, at a whole 17 years old. After two years of scoring silly, silly goals (see below), he decided it was time to move on to bigger and better things. Enter Gelsenkirchen. Schalke 04 got him, but not without a fight. A couple of fellers who really, really like to throw money around – those two being Chelsea and Juventus – went after him, but the kid appeared to make the right move by going to a place where playing time is a little easier to come by. (Well, at least it would easier than London – who the hell knows what Claudio Ranieri wants to do with his midfield anymore.) And on his Bundesliga debut, he did this:

Which ain’t half bad.

As a player, he’s one of your prototypical take it and run at defenders attacking mids, who slots in behind the strikers then finds himself on the ends of crosses as he surges towards the front line, with an unquestionable nose for the goal (that thing scouts are always lusting after). Phenomenal ball skills and on the pitch awareness, which will probably get him further than anything, and he strikes an absolutely gorgeous dead ball to boot. So much so that you’ll find him taking quite a few for Schalke.

Of course, with all of his superstar talents he decided to get started on the superstar lifestyle, being dropped for Schalke’s must-win game against Rosenborg in early December for being spotted out at a club in the morning’s wee hours a few days before the game. We’ll chalk it up to immaturity and hope that he comes through with his ginormous talent.

The requisite YouTuber video, and make sure to check out the smoke and mirrors action at the 2:38 mark. Creating the chance was only half the battle, the goal at that angle is something else entirely.

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Category: Bundesliga, World Football