Miljan Mrdaković
Serbian footballer (1982–2020)
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Miljan Mrdaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Миљан Мрдаковић, pronounced [mǐʎan mr̩dǎːkoʋitɕ]; 6 May 1982 – 22 May 2020) was a Serbian professional footballer who played as a striker.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miljan Mrdaković[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1982[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Niš, SFR Yugoslavia[1] | ||
| Date of death | 22 May 2020 (aged 38) | ||
| Place of death | Belgrade, Serbia | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–1995 | Radnički Niš | ||
| 1995–1998 | Partizan | ||
| 1998–2001 | Anderlecht | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2002 | Anderlecht | 0 | (0) |
| 2002 | → Eendracht Aalst (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | OFK Beograd | 32 | (20) |
| 2003–2004 | Gent | 22 | (4) |
| 2004 | OFK Beograd | 10 | (1) |
| 2005 | Austria Salzburg | 10 | (3) |
| 2005–2006 | Metalist Kharkiv | 27 | (7) |
| 2006–2007 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 29 | (7) |
| 2007–2008 | Vitória Guimarães | 27 | (6) |
| 2008–2009 | Shandong Luneng Taishan | 18 | (8) |
| 2009–2011 | Apollon Limassol | 31 | (21) |
| 2010 | → Ethnikos Achna (loan) | 14 | (8) |
| 2011–2012 | AEK Larnaca | 18 | (7) |
| 2012 | Jiangsu Sainty | 5 | (1) |
| 2013 | Enosis Neon Paralimni | 15 | (7) |
| 2013–2014 | Veria | 13 | (5) |
| 2014 | Tampines Rovers | 25 | (11) |
| 2015 | Levadiakos | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | Vojvodina | 6 | (0) |
| 2016 | Agrotikos Asteras | 5 | (1) |
| 2016 | Rad | 0 | (0) |
| 2017 | OFK Beograd | 5 | (2) |
| Total | 318 | (119) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2001 | FR Yugoslavia U18 | 8 | (0) |
| 2002 | FR Yugoslavia U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2008 | Serbia Olympic (O.P.) | 3 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
A journeyman, he played for 20 clubs across ten countries and scored 150 goals in all competitions. He also represented Serbia at the 2008 Olympics.
Club career
Mrdaković was born in Niš, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After starting out at Radnički Niš and Partizan he moved to Belgian club Anderlecht at the age of 16, playing for their youth and reserve teams[2] before going on loan to fellow Belgian Pro League side Eendracht Aalst in early 2002.
Subsequently, Mrdaković returned to his homeland and signed for OFK Beograd on a free transfer. He was his team's top scorer in the 2002–03 season and third overall with 20 league goals, and in August 2003 transferred back to Belgium by joining Gent on a four-year contract.[3] He left by mutual agreement in April 2004, then spent a further one and a half years with OFK.[4]
In early 2005, Mrdaković signed with Austria Salzburg. Six months later, he left for Metalist Kharkiv of the Ukrainian Premier League and, in August 2006, was acquired by Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.[5] During his spell at the latter, he scored eight times in all competitions.[6]
After spending the 2007–08 campaign in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with Vitória de Guimarães,[7] Mrdaković plied his trade in the Chinese Super League with Shandong Luneng Taishan. In July 2009, he agreed to a two-year deal at Apollon Limassol.[8] He failed to make an immediate impact, being loaned to fellow Cypriot First Division club Ethnikos Achna the following transfer window.
Mrdaković returned to the Tsirio Stadium for 2010–11, netting a career-best 21 goals to lead all players.[9] In June 2011, he signed with AEK Larnaca on a three-year contract.[10] He scored seven times in the league during his tenure,[11] leaving in February 2012.[12]
In early 2012, Mrdaković rejoined the Chinese top flight with Jiangsu Sainty.[13] He returned to Cyprus shortly after, joining Enosis Neon Paralimni.[14]
After a few months in the Super League Greece with Veria, Mrdaković moved to Tampines Rovers of Singapore in January 2014 as their marquee player.[15] He scored 25 goals overall,[16] helping his team to win two cup titles (Charity Shield in February and League Cup in July).
In February 2015, Mrdaković returned to Greece and signed with Levadiakos.[17] He joined Vojvodina on a one-year deal in June,[18] scoring twice in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League as the side progressed to the play-off round.[19][20]
Mrdaković returned to OFK Beograd on 19 January 2017, stating his intention to retire at the club.[21]
International career
Mrdaković represented FR Yugoslavia at the 2001 UEFA European Under-18 Championship. He was also capped for the national under-21 team, but saw little action due to a conflict with Vladimir Petrović.[22][23]
In July 2008, Mrdaković was called up by Miroslav Đukić to the Serbia squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics; he was one of the three overage players alongside Aleksandar Živković and Vladimir Stojković.[24] He appeared in all three group stage matches, scoring in the 4–2 loss against Ivory Coast.[25]
Mrdaković received his first call-up to a full Serbia squad in May 2011, when Petrović selected him for two friendlies in Asia and Oceania.[26] However, he missed the mini tour due to an injury picked up in a training session.[27]
Death
Mrdaković died by suicide in the Zvezdara municipality of Belgrade on 22 May 2020, aged 38.[28]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Anderlecht | 2001–02 | Belgian First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Eendracht Aalst (loan) | 2001–02 | Belgian First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| OFK Beograd | 2002–03 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 32 | 20 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 20 | ||
| 2003–04 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 20 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 34 | 20 | |||
| Gent | 2003–04 | Belgian First Division | 22 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 5 | ||
| OFK Beograd | 2003–04 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[a] | 1 | 9 | 2 | ||
| Total | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | 13 | 2 | |||
| Austria Salzburg | 2004–05 | Austrian Bundesliga | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 3 | ||
| Metalist Kharkiv | 2005–06 | Vyshcha Liha | 25 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 7 | ||
| 2006–07 | Vyshcha Liha | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 7 | ||||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2006–07 | Israeli Premier League | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 36 | 8 | |
| Vitória Guimarães | 2007–08 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 32 | 7 | |
| Shandong Luneng Taishan | 2008 | Chinese Super League | 17 | 8 | — | — | — | 17 | 8 | |||
| 2009 | Chinese Super League | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2[b] | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Total | 18 | 8 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 20 | 10 | ||||
| Apollon Limassol | 2009–10 | Cypriot First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Ethnikos Achna (loan) | 2009–10 | Cypriot First Division | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 8 | ||
| Apollon Limassol | 2010–11 | Cypriot First Division | 30 | 21 | 5 | 3 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 36 | 24 | |
| Total | 31 | 21 | 5 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | 37 | 24 | |||
| AEK Larnaca | 2011–12 | Cypriot First Division | 18 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | 10[c] | 3 | 30 | 11 | |
| Jiangsu Sainty | 2012 | Chinese Super League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Enosis Neon | 2012–13 | Cypriot First Division | 15 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 18 | 8 | ||
| Veria | 2013–14 | Super League Greece | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 6 | ||
| Tampines Rovers | 2014 | S.League | 25 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5[d] | 4 | 39 | 25 |
| Levadiakos | 2014–15 | Super League Greece | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Vojvodina | 2015–16 | Serbian SuperLiga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 2 | 9 | 2 | |
| Agrotikos Asteras | 2015–16 | Greece Football League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Rad | 2016–17 | Serbian SuperLiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| OFK Beograd | 2016–17 | Serbian First League | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 318 | 119 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 26 | 12 | 379 | 150 | ||
- Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Appearances in AFC Champions League
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
