Barcelona reward birthday boy Bojan

Friday, 29 August 08, 01:39 PM · Comments(0)

FC Barcelona forward Bojan Krkić has celebrated his 18th birthday by signing an improved deal tying him to the club until 2013, in a boost for coach Josep Guardiola.

Prolific marksman
A product of the Barcelona youth system, Bojan signed his first professional contract 12 months ago but is now on improved terms. He scored close to 900 goals in seven seasons climbing the ranks and announced himself to the wider world by top-scoring at the 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, aged 15. He then claimed the winner in the following year's final against England. Having already featured in the senior squad for friendlies, he made his Barcelona debut in September 2007 and just over a month later became the Blaugrana's youngster Liga goalscorer against Villarreal CF. In all, he registered 12 goals last season, and broke into Spain's U21 side as well as the senior selection, though without making his full debut. By netting against FC Schalke 04 in last term's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, he became the first player born in the 1990s to score in the competition.

'Very happy here'
Bojan, whose father played for FK Crvena Zvezda, said: "I'm very happy here. I'm a young player and, just like last year, I hope to continue gaining the confidence of the coach. To be in the first team at 18 is a privilege and I'm looking forward to taking advantage of every minute I get on the field. Last season was a very good one for me but that's already in the past. Everything is new now and we're starting from scratch." Barcelona were drawn in Group C of the UEFA Champions League, to face Sporting Clube de Portugal, FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Basel 1893.

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Tags: Premier League 08/09, UEFA

Topics: Premier League 08/09, UEFA

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