Patrik Berger

Patrik Berger

Berger in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Patrik Berger[1]
Date of birth	(1973-11-10) 10 November 1973 (age 51)[1]
Place of birth	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s)	Left winger, attacking midfielder
Youth career
1989–1991	Sparta Prague
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–1995	Slavia Prague	90	(24)
1995–1996	Borussia Dortmund	27	(4)
1996–2003	Liverpool	148	(28)
2003–2005	Portsmouth	52	(8)
2005–2008	Aston Villa	29	(2)
2006–2007	→ Stoke City (loan)	7	(0)
2008–2010	Sparta Prague	23	(6)
Total		376	(72)
International career
1994	Czech Republic U21	1	(3)
1993	RCS	2	(0)
1994–2001	Czech Republic	42	(18)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Czech Republic UEFA European Championship Runner-up 1996 England UEFA Euro U-16 Winner 1990 East Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Patrik Berger (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpatrɪk ˈbɛrɡr̩]; born 10 November 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He started his career in his own country with Slavia Prague and spent a season in Germany playing for Borussia Dortmund. He moved to England in 1996, where he spent seven years with Liverpool, winning four trophies in his time there. This was followed by spells at Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Stoke City. He spent the last two years of his career back in his native Czech Republic playing for Sparta Prague.

Internationally, Berger played in two major tournaments for the Czech Republic. He played an important part in his nation's Euro 1996 campaign, scoring in the final as the Czech Republic finished runners-up to Germany. He took a 17-month break from the national team between 1997 and 1998 after a dispute with manager Dušan Uhrin, returning to the setup following Uhrin's departure from the post. His second and final major tournament was Euro 2000, but due to suspension and his country's early exit, he only played one match. He retired from the national team in 2002 at the age of 28 with a total of 44 senior international caps and 18 goals.

Capable of occupying midfield and forward positions, Berger became noted for his powerful strikes, surging runs, and strong left foot. Berger was beset with injuries throughout his career and received specialist treatment in the United States. He retired on 6 January 2010 due to knee injuries.