In Profile: Mislav Oršić
Southampton’s first January signing, Croatian winger Mislav Oršić brings a wealth of experience for Nathan Jones’s side as we approach the second half of the 2022/23 season.
Recently returning from the World Cup in Qatar, the 30-year-old played a pivotal role in aiding Croatia to a third place finish in the competition.
Featuring in six out of seven of their World Cup matches, Oršić netted the winning goal against Morocco in their third-place play-off.
Oršić also boasts plenty of experience in club form, arriving at Saints after spending over four years at Dinamo Zagreb in his home country.
Born in Zagreb, Oršić started his youth career at Zagreb at just five years old, before spending time at Trešnjevka, Kustošija and finally Inter Zaprešić where he began his senior playing career.
Making his first team debut for Inter Zaprešić in 2009, he made 90 appearances for the Croatian outfit, becoming the top goalscorer for the 2012/13 season before a short spell at Italian side Spezia Calcia where he made nine appearances in Serie B.
Returning to Croatia in the summer of 2014, Oršić signed for Rijeke only to be subsequently sent on two successive loans at Slovenian club Celje and South Korean side Jeonnam Dragons in the K League.
Now 2016, the winger made a strong impression at Jeonnam Dragons and having scored nine goals in 33 appearances during his loan deal, he signed a permanent contract with the club.
He played 16 more games for the side and netted a further five goals for Jeonnam Dragons before making the move to Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League later in 2016. It wasn’t long before he returned back to the K League, though, signing for Ulsan Hyundai in 2017.
After making 52 appearances and scoring 14 goals, Oršić then returned to his boyhood club in 2018. The Croatian has since recorded 91 goals in 214 appearances across all competitions for Zagreb.
In his four and a half years at the club, Oršić has won seven trophies including four successive Croatian top-flight titles.
With 13 goals scored and eight assists in all competitions this campaign alone, the attacking midfielder is no stranger to Premier League opposition, finding the back of the net against Chelsea in European competition earlier this season. Oršić also scored a famous hattrick against Tottenham to knock them out of the Europa League in the round of 16 back in 2021.
Proven to be a big game player, Oršić boasts both experience and versatility, something that will benefit Jones’s side as they look to bounce back from their current position in the Premier League.
