A newcomer to the Croatia set-up during UEFA EURO 2012 qualification, Ivan Perišić demanded a call-up with an outstanding 2010/11 season for Club Brugge KV, from which he earned the dual distinction of being Belgium's top goalscorer and player of the year. That success prompted a transfer to Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won the German double in 2011/12.

• A midfielder dubbed the 'new Aljoša Asanović' by observers in his native Split, he left local club HNK Hajduk Split for French side FC Sochaux-Montbéliard while still only 17 but did not make a first-team appearance in Ligue 1.

• Sent on loan to Belgian Eerste Klasse outfit KSV Roeselare in January 2009, he played a leading role in rescuing the club from relegation, via the play-offs, and was rewarded with a permanent move to Club Brugge.

• Notched nine league goals in his first season for Club Brugge and also found the net four times in eight UEFA Europa League encounters, including a vital late strike at home to Toulouse FC that took the Belgian side through to the knockout phase.

• Registered no European goals in 2010/11 but countered that with a top-scoring 22 in the Belgian league, which won him the Eerste Klasse player of the year crown and a lucrative move to Dortmund − not to mention international recognition for Croatia, his first cap coming on 26 March 2011 in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier against Georgia in Tbilisi.

• Made an immediate impression for Dortmund by coming off the bench and scoring a spectacular late equaliser in their opening 2011/12 UEFA Champions League group game against Arsenal FC.