World Cup 2018: Former refugees at the world's grandest stage

#2 Dejan Lovren

Lovren during the Croatia versus Brazil friendly.

Born in erstwhile in Yugoslavia, Lovren’s parents moved to Munich in Germany during the Bosnian war, but not before his uncle’s brother was killed with a knife in front of others and his best friend’s father was killed in armed combat. They left with just a bag after spending a night in a bomb shelter, leaving behind their house and shop and all their belongings.

Life in Germany wasn’t easy either, as they did not possess the necessary papers to get permanent residency. The fear of being asked to leave always loomed and it became reality when Lovren was ten years old.

Back in Croatia, the family struggled to make ends meet. Lovren’s skates too had to be sold off to pay the bills. Lovren had started playing for a small club back in Germany.

Soon after returning, he impressed while playing for youth teams a few local clubs. He got an offer from Dynamo Zagreb and joined them in 2004. He made his first-team debut in 2006 and made 60 appearances the club.

After stints in Lyon and Southampton, he joined Liverpool in 2014 and has secured his place in the line-up. His international career for Croatia started in 2009. He appeared for Croatia in the 2014 edition too and is part of the 23-man squad flying to Russia.