Ned Zelic

Football player infobox
playername= Ned Zelic
fullname = Nedjeljko Zelić


dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1971|7|4
cityofbirth = Sydney
countryofbirth = Australia
height = height|m=1.86
currentclub = FC Dinamo Tbilisi
clubnumber = 24|
position = Centre Back
youthyears = 1987
1988
youthclubs = Canberra Deakin
AIS
years = 1988-1991
1991-1992
1992-1995
1995
1996
1996-1997
1997-2001
2002
2002-2003
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006
2007-present
clubs = Sydney Croatia
Sydney Olympic
Borussia Dortmund
QPR
Eintracht Frankfurt
AJ Auxerre
TSV 1860 München
Kyoto Purple Sanga
Urawa Reds
FC Wacker Tirol
Newcastle Jets
Helmond Sport
Dinamo Tbilisi
caps(goals) = 036 (0)
016 (1)
041 (1)
004 (0)
017 (1)
012 (0)
102 (3)
001 (0)
023 (2)
022 (0)
021 (1)
007 (0)
nationalyears = 1989
1992
1991-1997
nationalteam = flagicon|Australia Australia U-20
flagicon|Australia Australia U-23
flagicon|Australia Australia
nationalcaps(goals) =
034 (3)
pcupdate = 8 January 2007
ntupdate = 24 August 2007

Nedjeljko Zelić, short form Ned Zelić [IPA|ˈzɛːlitɕ] (born on 4 July 1971 in Sydney), is a Croatian Australian football (soccer) player who plays for FC Dinamo Tbilisi.

Club career

Zelic started his career in the old Australian National Soccer League where he played with clubs Sydney Croatia and Sydney Olympic.

Zelic spent most of the 1990s playing in Europe, most notably for Borussia Dortmund of Germany. He had a small stint at QPR, moving for £1.3 million, which was beset by injury. He did little to endear himself to QPR fans, blaming the hard English ground for his ailments. The London club soon cut their losses and he returned to Germany after playing just four Premier League games in 1995-96. QPR were relegated that season and have yet to return to the top flight.

Newcastle Jets

In 2005, Ned Zelic agreed terms to a two year deal to captain the Newcastle Jets in the Hyundai A-League where he played out the whole season from central defence. The Jets finished fourth on the league table and lost to the Central Coast Mariners 2-1 on aggregate over two legs in the Minor Semi-Final.

In June 2006 he was released from his contract with the Newcastle Jets due to his wife being pregnant in germany. He was almost immediately replaced by Paul Okon, who will likely also take his direct spot in central defence in the team.

Back Overseas

After being granted a work permit, he signed a one-year deal with the Dutch second division side Helmond Sport in August 2006. In Helmond he worked again with his former 1860 Munich team mate Gerald Vanenburg, who was trainer there. He left Helmond however after only 3 months due to physical problems.

On the 15th of March 2007, Zelic joined Georgian club FC Dinamo Tbilisi on a free transfer.

He announced his retirement from football on 12 August 2008, following the outbreak of war between Georgia and Russia. http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=106611

International career

He has played for the Australian team but made himself unavailable after disagreements with coach Frank Farina. Zelic was a member of the Australian team that competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

With discussion in "The Age" newspaper that Zelic was up for a recall to the Australian national side around October 2005, Zelic did not make a return to the side and took up a career in the media. He first appeared as a football analyst on Australian television channel SBS during the World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay, and continued this role (alongside Andrew Orsatti) during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Trivia

Before getting into football Zelic used to be a truck driver.He still drives a truck in the off season with his pet ferret chuck.Fact|date=February 2008

Honours

With Borussia Dortmund:
* Bundesliga: 1995 With Australia:
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997 (Runners-Up)

With Urawa Reds:
* J. League Cup: 2003

External links

* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/Z/Z.html Oz Football profile]