Nemanja Matic aka The Beast is one of the finest footballers of Serbia. He is playing as a defensive midfielder for English club, Manchester United since 2018. Matic started his professional career from Chelsea and later played for several clubs like Benfica, and Vitesse. On the ongoing 2017-18 season he appeared in 401 games scoring 24 goals. Internationally, Matic made his debut in 2008 for the Serbia under-21 team. He then represented his national team in several tournaments. As of 2018, he is in Serbia's final squad for 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Early Life And Early Career Of Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic was born on 1st August 1988 in Sabac, SFR Yugoslavia under the birth sign Leo. His parents, Dragan Matic and Biljana Matic raised him with his brother, Uros Matic.
Matic started his career in football at the early age of five with Vrelo football club coached by his father. At the age of 9, his parents allowed him to leave home to pursue a career in football. He told,
''Leaving home was difficult for because for me because I was just 9. IT was also a big step from my youth career in Serbia. It was not so close to my hometown s I couldn't come back every weekend and when you are just a boy of 9, you can feel the pain. Later on, things became normal. Football remained my work and I enjoy it. The support from my family helped. My dream of wanting to play football somewhere became a success.''
In 2007, he started his senior career at Kolubara and later signed a contract with Kosice, Slovak club.
Nemanja Matic's Professional Career
Chelsea
Nemanja Matic began his professional career on 18th August 2009 by signing a four-year contract with Chelsea for a fee of £1.5 million ($1.7 million). He was given the jersey number 24 but could not make his debut instantly because of his injury at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. On 21st November 2009, he made his debut for the club in a 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanders as a substitute for Florent Malouda.
Matic along with Matej Delac and Slobodan Rajkovic was transferred to Eredivisie club, Vitesse on a one-year loan.
Benfica
Matic was transferred to Benfica on 31st January 2011 with £21M ($24.4 million) contract in a swap deal for David Luiz, Brazilian center-back. In Benfica, he was converted to defenisve midfilder from playmaker by the manager, Jorge Jesus.
He made his debut for the club on 13th January 2013 in the 2012 Taca de Liga Final against Gill Vincent where he earned his first trophy. On 13th January 2013, he scored his first goal for the team in a 2-2 draw aginst Porto. Following the match, his contract was extended until 2018 with a buyout clause at £45 million ($52 million).
In 2013 FIFA Puskas Award, Matic earned the second place. At the end of 2013-2014 season, he appeared in 99 games scoring 9 goals.
Return to Chelsea
Matic rejoined Chelsea on a five-and-a-half contract on 15th January 2014 for £21 million ($24.4 million). After returning, he played his first game in a 3-1 win over Manchester United replacing Willian. He made his Premier League debut on 3rd February 2014 against Manchester United.
Matic along with Eden Hazard became one of the four midfielders in the PFA Team of the Year on 26th April 2015. At the end of season 2016-17, he scored 7 goals appearing in 151 games.
Manchester United
In 2018, Matic signed a three-year contract with Manchester United with an option for an extra year
He made his debut with the club in a 4-0 win over West Ham United in which he won the title of Man of the Match. He scored his first goal for the club on 5th March 2018 in a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
Nemanja Matic's International Career
On 11th October 2008, Matic made his debut for the Serbia under-21 team match against Denmark. In December 2012, he announced that he would not be playing for Serbian national team until Sinisa Mihajlovic was the coach because he thought that the coach did not give him the right opportunity.
The next year, he returned to the team and played the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Croatia. On 29th March 2015, Matic scored his first international goal in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualification match against Portugal where the team won the match with the score 2-1.
As of 2018, Matic along with Aleksandar Kolarov, Luka Milivojevic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was selected as Serbia's final squad for FIFA World Cup held in Russia. On 17th June 2018, he will be playing as a midfielder in 2018 World Cup against Costa Rica.
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Nemanja Matic's Net Worth
As per The Richest, Nemanja Matic has an estimated net worth of $27 million. He earns a salary of $10 million. As of 2018, his market value is £36 million ($47 million). He has a collection of luxury cars:
- Chevy Camaro = $35k.
- Porche Cayenne = $66,700- $161,600.
- Mercedes Benz GL cla s s = $48k to $70k.
- Mercedes Benz ML cLa s s = $36k to $73k.
He paid the debt of people of his village, Serbia and also donated funds to repair the elementary school which he attended.
Nemanja Matic's Personal Life
Nemanja Matic married his girlfriend, Aleksandra Pavic in 2010 in a private ceremony attended by their friends and families. Matic told,
''My most brillinat achievement was my ability to be able to persudae Alesandra to marry me.''
According to Matic, his wife is a big supporter and motivator. The couple is blessed with their two children, Filip Matic and Tea Matic.
Regarding his family, his father was a professional player who played for FK Macva Sabac in Serbia. His brother is also a professional footballer. His father trained him and his brothers.
Besides, the football genius, Matic is nicknamed as The Beast.
Check out the video which sows Nemanja Matic's skill:
by saru, 17 Jun, 2018