HUNK OF THE DAY!! (Sunday, February 15, 2009)

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Valentine's Day! :) So many good things happened yesterday! Oh man! Most important, I am getting better! :) Yayness! :) Ok, to the hunk of the day! I have been meaning to do this one for AGES! I seriously mean ages! So, let me present to you the latest addition to the hunky brotherhood!

May I present to you....NIKO KRANJCAR! *epic music playing* :D Niko is a freaking amazing Croatian! Anyway, I give you the Wikipedia def. for Niko (mainly because it is after 1 am here and I want to go to bed...)

Niko Kranjčar [ˈniːkɔ ˈkraɲtʃaːr] (born 13 August 1984 in Zagreb) is a Croatian football midfielder. He currently plays for English club Portsmouth, and is also a part of the Croatia national team. Given his international debut by his father Zlatko Kranjčar, Niko has previously represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, sparking controversy while playing for Dinamo Zagreb and then making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005.

Kranjčar spent most of his youth playing for Dinamo Zagreb, and later became the youngest captain of the squad for the first time at the age of 17. He also became one of the youngest goalscorers in the Prva HNL as he scored on his league debut for Dinamo at the age of 16 before helping them win the double of a Croatian cup and a league title in 2003 and then the Croatian cup again the following season. Such abilities and assistance led him to become a fan favorite amongst the fans, he began to receive comparison to French football legend Zidane. However in early 2005 he experienced a disagreement with the management, leading to a surprise transfer to Dinamo's biggest rivals, Hajduk Split. Nevertheless, he still managed to focus on his new club as he helped them to the Croatian title in his first season.

After the 2006 World Cup, the world press hailed him for his talents, and several clubs immediately showed interest in the young star. Among such clubs were Stade Rennes and the Spanish Club Celta de Vigo. In August 2006, Rennes bid €4.5 million for Kranjčar, Hajduk rejected that offer and stated they felt they should get more for the player. Later on the same day however, Kranjčar then moved for a reported £3.5million (€5.2 million) to Portsmouth on August 31, 2006.

Kranjčar made his Premier League debut for Portsmouth on October 1, 2006 as he played all 90 minutes in their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.He scored his first Premier League goal on March 31, 2007 against Fulham at Craven Cottage, giving Portsmouth an early 1-0 lead in a match that eventually ended in a 1-1 draw. He made a total of 24 appearances and scored two goals in his first Premier League season. His disallowed goal on the final day of the season would, if given, have resulted in Portsmouth qualifying for the UEFA Cup. He also managed to eventually score during his sides decisive 2-1 home victory over Liverpool. In 2007/08, his second season in England, Kranjčar established himself as a regular in the Portsmouth side, putting in a string of impressive performances on the left of a three man attack, including a stunning 35 yard free-kick in a 2-0 victory against Birmingham City, and a 30 yard free-kick in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle United. He also gained large credential for helping Pompey to the FA Cup title in 2008.^[10]

At the beginning of the 2008/2009 season, A.S. Monaco had a bid of 12 million pounds rejected for Kranjcar. Harry Redknapp stated that Kranjcar was not going to leave the club at any price. The day after, Kranjcar openly said that he doesn't intend to leave Portsmouth "for years to come" and also publicly thanked Harry Redknapp for the faith that he showed in him. However, Harry Redknapp has since left the club to take over the reigns at Tottenham Hotspur. On the 12th of Feb 2009 after an injury plaugued first half of the season and with Portsmouth battling with relegation Kranjcar publically declared his desire to quit Portsmouth and move to a bigger club. Arsenal and Monaco have previously been linked with moves for the Crotian International.

He is married to Simona!

Awww, aren't they cute? She is 6 years older than lil' Niko too, I may add. For more pictures of their wedding, please click here. And yes, that is Niko in my icon too. :D It is for an advertising campaign back in Croatia.