Lazio Player

Goran Pandev (Macedonian: Горан Пандев, [ˈgɔran ˈpandɛf] ) born July 27, 1983 in Strumica, Republic of Macedonia, is a football striker from the Republic of Macedonia who plays for Italian Serie A club, S.S. Lazio. He is also considered as a star key-player of the Macedonian national team and one of "the greats" in his homeland.

Career

Pandev began his football career as a 16-year-old, with Belasica, the club with which he progressed through the youth academy. He only spent one season in the local Prva Liga though, before being signed by major Italian Serie A club Internazionale in the summer of 2001.

Inter sent young Pandev on loan to Spezia, where he was a regular in Serie C1. The following year, he was again sent on loan, this time to newly promoted Ancona. Despite the Dorici having a nightmare of a season, the worst of any club in Serie A history, Pandev made twenty appearances and scored one goal, gaining valuable experience.

In 2004, Serbian star Dejan Stanković was signed by Inter from Lazio and Pandev was sent to the capital in exchange on a co-ownership deal. Pandev impressed in his first year at Lazio, as he made 29 appearances, scoring 3 goals including a memorable effort away to Juventus where he beat Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta, before beating Gianluigi Buffon with an angled shot.

The following season, Delio Rossi was appointed manager of Lazio, and Pandev began to form a deadly strike partnership with Tommaso Rocchi. Lazio opted to purchase Pandev's full contract in the summer of 2006, bidding around 4 million euro for Udinese's share in the contract, which they had bought from Inter.

In 2007-08, Pandev began to attract attention from some of Europe's greatest clubs, especially after a fine performance in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid in which he scored twice.

Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Tottenham all showed keen interest, however Pandev decided to remain in Rome, until his contract expires in 2010.

International career

Pandev is the star player of the Republic Macedonia,[2] and is widely considered to be one of the two best players the country has produced alongside former Yugoslavia and Red Star Belgrade great Darko Pančev.

Pandev so far, has won 37 caps for his country and scored 13 goals, and is the man who is currently leading an unlikely but not impossible charge for Macedonia to reach their first ever FIFA World Cup.

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