Mauro Perkovic, a bonny Croat born on 22 March 2003, is currently a sturdy 21-year-old lad. Though his originators hail from Croatia, Perkovic's footballing prowess is currently on display on the frequently muddy fields of Dinamo Zagreb. Naturally falling into the defender's role, he often holds the fort as the central figure in the backline. A strapping lad, he stands at 6 feet (1.85m) tall and tips the scales at 11st 6lb (73kg), providing a formidable obstacle for any opponents with scoring aspirations. Beyond club football, he also pulls on the checkered jersey of the Croatia U21 national team, showing his mettle on an international stage.
But let's go back to the summer of 2012. Perkovic's journey began with a pair of vibrant green boots and a trainee position at Istra 1961, a club in the HNL in his native Croatia. He carved out a bit of space for himself on the team, making a decent 17 appearances in league matches in the 2022-2023 season. Clearly, Istra 1961 was just a stepping stone on the path of Perkovic’s career.
Come to February 2023, Dinamo Zagreb threw a lifeline to the young defender, and he lapped up the opportunity, moving to the HNL side on a loan. In his time on loan during the 2022-2023 season, Perkovic stretched his legs across eight league games for Dinamo Zagreb, and so began the dances with his new suitor. By the subsequent season, Perkovic had netted twice in 21 appearances for the blue-tinged Zagreb side.
Once the July sun scorched 2023, Perkovic permanently swapped his Istra 1961 badge for that of Dinamo Zagreb in a deal that had the money counters grumbling about a sum of about £1.8m. The year of 2023 saw the lad in the thick of the action for eight league matches, and he even managed to ripple the net twice in the 2023-2024 run. However, during the current 2024-2025 stint, Perkovic has not been seen striding across the field thus far.
Aside from exhibiting his defensive knowhow in the HNL, Perkovic has trotted on the pitch in other competitions too. He represented Croatia U21 in the UEFA U21 Qualifiers 2023 nabbing three starts. In Dinamo Zagreb strips, he made six starts and one appearance as a substitute in the Conference League 2023-2024, and again represented Croatia U21 in the UEFA U21 Championship Qualifiers 2024-2025, lining up for the start in five matches.
