Football player Dimitar Berbatov was born on January 30, 1981 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. His parents were both athletes, his mother a handball player and his father a footballer with a local team. Both were professional players and very good at what they did, instilling in Berbatov early on a respect for sporting.

Berbatov was a fan of AC Milan as a child and especially of player Marco van Basten. He would remain an ardent fan until 1996 when he watched the UEFA European Championship and thereafter found adoration for Alan Shearer. He thereafter dreamed of playing for Newcastle United (Shearer’s team) and to that end he started learning English, using The Godfather film trilogy to teach him how to speak the language.

After honing his skills as a child Berbatov began playing with Pirin Blagoevgrad and remained with them until his talent was noted by Dimitar Penev, a coach and scout of some renown. Penev’s notice led Berbatov to be recruited to CSKA Sofia when he was only seventeen years old, an impressive feat.

Berbatov remained with CSKA until 2001, first establishing himself as an up-and-coming star in the 1999-2000 season when he managed to score 14 goals in a mere 27 league games. His team managed to win the Bulgarian National Cup in 1999 during his tenure, as well.

After Berbatov managed to score nine goals in 11 games between 2000 and 2001 Berbatov was signed to Bayer Leverkusen. His transition to this team didn’t go as well as his last, as he only managed to score 16 goals in 67 games for Leverkusen. He was however still a key player and managed to make some memorable plays, including one goal during the Champions League where he managed to successfully go solo against Lyon’s goalie.

In 2003 and 2004 Berbatov really began to shine, taking 16 goals in 24 games. His goal count would continue to rise over the next two seasons – enough so that Berbatov was noted by Tottenham Hotspur in 2004. He was finally nabbed for a hefty 16 million euros in 2006. He was a good investment, too, as he managed to score two goals in two minutes in his debut game, despite it being a pre-season match.

His season debut goal came during his home match, a mere two minutes into the game. Soon enough he’d become a choice forward for the team, despite being on a rotating roster, and continued to score consistently. During this time he developed a good partnership with fellow player Robbie Keane, and the two complimented one another very well on the field. They would later share the award of FA Premier League Player of the Month.

Berbatov signed for Manchester United on 1st September 2008 for a fee of £30.5 million. Berbatov will wear the number 9 shirt for Manchester United.