An exclusive interview with Ivan Klasnic, as featured in the Stoke City matchday programme.

The signature of Ivan Klasnic on transfer deadline day meant that Manager Gary Megson got the man he had been tracking for over 18 months.

And despite only being involved for a fortnight, the German-born Croat can already sense the positive vibe at the club.

Klasnic had an immediate impact on his debut at Fratton Park last weekend after he was introduced to the Barclays Premier League as a second-half substitute. His flicked header from Jlloyd Samuel's throw eventually found its way to Gary Cahill, who nodded past David James to secure the three points.

His first contribution might have been an assist, but he is aiming to be recognised amongst Bolton Wanderers supporters for goals - a trait which has become his trademark throughout Europe and on the international scene.

Klasnic said: "Everyone at Bolton concentrates solely on football and winning matches, and I hope my goals will help to achieve that.

"Before I signed, I was impressed with everything that I saw especially the training pitches because they are in a very good condition. The Stadium is excellent and everyone at the club has a positive mentality. The sun was shining on my first day and we went on to win our game at Portsmouth, so I had a very good week.

"The training sessions have been good, everybody is happy and has a smile on their face and that helped us to do a good job at Portsmouth and get the win. The end result is the most important thing, even though it wasn't the best match and now I think we can win a lot more. Together we are a good team and we definitely have the quality.

"This last week has been busy and I had a lot of things to do, so I came back to France for a couple of days. But I think I will relax into everything over the coming weeks when I sort out my own apartment and I can move my family over to England and see them every day. These are very important things because if you are happy then you can perform well in your job."

Having built his reputation at his first club St Pauli, Klasnic moved to Werder Bremen in 2001. He helped them win the Bundesliga during the 2003/04 campaign and the following season had his first taste of Champions League football, in which he scored five goals in the group stage for Werder.

This predatory form in front of goal eventually reaped international recognition and a first cap for Croatia beckoned against Germany in 2004. 35 more appearances - in which he has scored 11 goals - have ensued.



Klasnic has had the privilege of participating at three major championships for his country, scoring twice at Euro 2008, which capped a massive transformation in his life both on and off the football field.

He explained: "For me, it's important that when I get the chance I play my best football and I did that at the European Championships. If you look at the minutes that I played then I believe that I did a very good job because I scored against Poland, and then against Turkey I came on as a substitute to score in the 119th minute of the match.

"It was disappointing to lose on penalties but it represented an amazing experience for me, especially with what had happened with my kidney. To come back and score in such a big tournament was like a dream come true."

Indeed, when Klasnic was told the news in 2007 that he would need a kidney transplant, he could have immediately been forgiven for presuming that his footballing career would be reaching a premature end.

But great desire, determination and self-belief was displayed to not only resume his profession but also play such a crucial part in his country's aforementioned achievements at the European Championships.

His road to recovery involved two transplants after his body initially rejected a first donor from his mother. Ivan's father provided a second and after a period of rehabilitation he was given the all-clear by doctors to pick up where he left off at Werder Bremen.

The German giants were extremely supportive during the striker's recovery as they remained true to their word and offered him a new one- year contract.

He eventually departed Bremen after seven seasons in the Bundesliga in 2008, moving to Nantes from whom Wanderers secured his services on the final day of the transfer window.

And after being able to return to football, Klasnic admits that everything has now been put into perspective and he has a fresh outlook on life.

He added: "It's important in my life that I win all my battles and the one with my kidney was the biggest of all. I think that I can be proud of myself that I have returned to football and I want to be an example for people and young children who have had the same problem.

"When I was younger I used to think that football was the only thing that mattered, but now that I am older and my priority is my family and my life.

"It was a really bad year and my family helped to get me through everything. I am very proud of them because my wife and daughter helped to provide so much support.

"My child was one-month old when I had my first operation, and it did give me the chance to see and spend time with her every day when she was growing up in her first year. At the same time though, I was thinking 'why me?' but I learned to accept it and I knew that I was stronger and I would win the battle."

Now aged 29 and with more than a lifetime's worth of experiences behind him, Klasnic has plied his trade in Germany, France and now England. He has operated under various different attitudes and tactics towards football but he reckons that his attributes are ideally suited for the latest chapter in his amazing career.

He added: "In France, everyone concentrates on defence - over there it is better to draw 0-0 than 3-3. In Germany, the focus is to score goals right until the last minute and there is a much more attacking mentality. That suited my game and I think that will be the same in the Premier League.

"But English football is much stronger, faster and for that reason I believe I am the right player for Bolton. My job is to score goals and that is what I am aiming to do."