Valeri Bojinov Bio Send To Friend  

Despite being only 21 when moving the Eastlands, the striker had already played for Leece, Fiorentina and Juventus.

His first season in the Premier League was ruined by injury and he was restricted to just three appearances after being tipped to make a big impression.

Discovered by Italian club Lecce at the age of 14, he made his Serie A debut at 15 years and 11 months for the southern club and swiftly became one of the hottest prospects in calcio.

Bojinov is a full Bulgarian international, having made his debut at Euro 2004 against Italy. In playing so young for Lecce, Bojinov was the youngest ever foreign player to make an appearance in Serie A and also became the youngest non-national to score in Serie A.

Fiorentina signed him in January 2005 for £9m and was soon linked to a move Inter Milan after he struck up a great partnership with the free-scoring Luca Toni.

When he did eventually get to play for one of Italian football's powers, it was at Juventus, but in Serie B. And on a loan deal which saw Adrian Mutu go the other way. After 18 games and 5 goals for the Old Lady, he was expected to become a permament £4m arrival at the Stadio Delle Alpi. But he chose to move to the Premier League with City.

He made his City debut in a 2-0 opening day victory at West Ham on the opening day of the 2007/08 season, replacing Rolando Bianchi just after the hour.

But Bojinov was injured on his first ever start for City in the Manchester derby, forced off after just eight minutes with a cruciate ligament injury which would end his season.

He suffered injury woe too in 2009-10 and returned to Italy on loan with Parma in the summer of 2009.