Perisic finally settled at Wolves
Munich - Having plied his trade in four different countries before his 23rd birthday, Ivan Perisic has more experience than most players of his age.
Dortmund come calling
A product of the HNK Hajduk Split youth academy, Perisic joined French side FC Sochaux at just 17 years of age. Despite being labelled “the new Asanovic” - in reference to former Croatia midfielder Aljona Asanovic who played for several French clubs during his career - upon his arrival at Sochaux, he failed to make a single first-team appearance during an ill-fated two-year spell with the Ligue 1 club and joined Belgian side Roeselare on loan in January 2009.
Perisic began to show glimpses of his true potential during his time with the West Flanders outfit. A tally of five goals in 18 appearances earned the youngster a trial with Hertha Berlin, but the capital club - coached by Lucien Favre at the time - turned down the chance to sign the 20-year-old, who instead joined Belgian giants Club Brügge at the end of the 2008/09 campaign.
After netting nine goals in 33 appearances in his first season at the Jan-Breydel-Stadion, Perisic set the Pro League alight during the 2010/11 campaign, scoring 22 goals in 37 league outings to finish as top scorer and earn himself the 2011 Belgian Footballer of the Year award. It wasn't long before Borussia Dortmund became interested in his services, with Perisic signing for the Schwarz-Gelben at the beginning of the 2011/12 season on a five-year contract.
Fully-fledged international
Despite enduring a tempestuous relationship with BVB boss Jürgen Klopp, Perisic made 41 appearances in all competitions in his first season at Signal Iduna Park, scoring nine goals, including a late equaliser against Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League. He helped the Schwarz-Gelben to a second successive Bundesliga title, but struggled to nail down a regular first-team berth the following season.
In January 2013, Perisic joined VfL Wolfsburg on a four-year deal. The Wolves finished 11th in the Bundesliga that season, but his ten goals in 33 league appearances helped Dieter Hecking's charges qualify for the UEFA Europa League in 2013/14 as Perisic formed a potent partnership with compatriot Ivica Olic and Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne.
Perisic made his international debut for Croatia in a 1-0 defeat to Georgia in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier in March 2011 and was an integral part of Croatia's 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, appearing in ten of their 12 Group A encounters, including their play-off success against Iceland. Perisic is one of three Bundesliga stars in Croatia's final squad for the tournament in Brazil, with Olic and former FC Bayern München star Mario Mandzukic joining Perisic in South America this summer.
