He is one of the most enigmatic players in soccer — a player capable of brilliance. But at the most crucial moments, he can seem to disappear. But this year, Manchester United's Bulgarian superstar, Dimitar Berbatov, has finally put it all together, leading the team and the English Premier League with 19 goals.
Berbatov started his career in his native Bulgaria at the age of 17 for the powerhouse CSKA Sofia, where his play earned praise. Eventually he was transferred to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, and it was at Leverkusen that Berbatov truly made a name for himself, as a member of the team that made it to the 2002 UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid. He went on to score 69 goals for the German giants, leading to intense interest from top clubs in England and Spain.
Ultimately, Berbatov moved to Tottenham Hotspur, for £10.9 million ($17.3 million). At Spurs, Berbatov netted 27 goals in two seasons, leading to more intense speculation that he would move, this time to Manchester United.
Berbatov finally joined his current club at the beginning of the 2008 season. At the time, the Red Devils had an extremely powerful strike force with Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet Berbatov struggled, leading to much criticism from the United fan base.
Furthermore, manager Sir Alex Ferguson benched Berbatov for the Champions League final, electing to start Cristiano Ronaldo at forward instead. Berbatov eventually entered the game in the second half, but his efforts were in vain — United fell to Barcelona 2-0.
With Ronaldo sold to Real Madrid, United expected Berbatov to fill the shoes of their departed Portuguese superstar, but the Bulgarian disappointed in his second season, as Wayne Rooney emerged from under Ronaldo's shadow and put in a career year. Rooney netted 26 goals, while Berbatov lagged behind with 12 and routinely looked out of sorts on the field, seeming slow, lackadaisical and uninterested.
This season, though, Berbatov has made a 180-degree turn and become arguably United's best and most consistent attacking option. Coming off a miserable World Cup, Wayne Rooney struggled with fitness problems, tabloid investigations into his private life and a public dispute with Ferguson over his contract, all of which required him to miss time.
Rooney's struggles have paved the way for Berbatov to lead United. His talents were particularly on show against hated rivals Liverpool this season, where he gave his team a 3-2 win with a spectacular hat trick, including a wild bicycle kick surely be among the candidates for goal of the season. He also scored a remarkable five goals against Blackburn Rovers in a 7-1 thrashing, becoming just the fourth player in Premier League history to accomplish that feat.
In a season in which United has yet to lose a game, Berbatov has put the team on his shoulders and has helped pull United to the top of the table. While he has had help from young Mexican striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Portuguese winger Nani, who each have contributed seven goals, Berbatov has been the catalyst for the United attack. With a busy schedule of Premier League fixtures, and the knockout stages of the Champions League looming in February, the Red Devils will be counting on Berbatov's scoring prowess to help them contend for trophies this season.
