Davor Šuker's name is bound to be a constant in the history books of Croatian football, as he is the country's all-time top scorer with 45 goals. During his prime, Šuker was one of the finest strikers on the planet. The prospect of facing him was a nightmare for any defender at the time.
This article will be focusing on Šuker's greatest phase in football, as we rewind his marvellous time in La Liga.
Before the Spain years
Davor Šuker began playing in his home town of Osijek, where he joined Croatian club NK Osijek in 1984. During his 5 years at the club, the Croatian striker scored 40 goals in just 91 appearances. This was followed by a transfer to Dinamo Zagreb, where he continued his impressive form by scoring 34 league goals in just 2 seasons. Those impressive feats led to a call up from the Yugoslavia national team.
Sevilla come calling
Šuker's impressive heroics in Croatian caught the attention of Europe's top clubs, and Sevilla eventually got his coveted signature. His debut came as a sub on 17th November 1991, as Sevilla earned a 1-1 draw against Espanyol. He made his first start the following match, and went on to score a brace to hand a 2-2 draw for Sevilla.
Croatia's debut season was nothing out of the ordinary, as he finished the campaign with 6 goals in 22 appearances. Šuker began the following season with a bang, scoring a sublime hat-trick to help Sevilla register a 4-3 victory over Albacete. He showed signs of improvement in the second season, as Šuker finished the campaign with 13 goals in 33 games.
It was in the 1993–94 season that the goalscoring monster in him was unleashed, as Šuker finished that season as second league top scorer with 24 goals. He only trailed behind Barcelona's Romario. The season was nothing less than outstanding for the player, as he scored one hat-trick and 5 braces throughout the campaign.
During this campaign and the season that followed, Šuker scored a total of 33 goals in 64 appearances in the Spanish Primera.
Another memorable moment of his time with Sevilla was the fact that he played with the legendary Diego Maradona as teammates during the 1992-93 season.
Real Madrid Transfer
Šuker's outstanding scoring abilities ultimately led to Real Madrid signing him before the 1996–97 season. The Croatian went on to score another commendable 24 goals in 38 appearances. Šuker became the third-best scorer within the league, only behind Barcelona's Ronaldo and Real Betis's Alfonso. He also scored three hat-tricks during this period, and was vital in Real's league triumph.
Along with Raúl and Predrag Mijatović, Šuker formed a dangerous trio that sparked fear in opposing defenses across the league.
The 1997–98 season was a highly successful and memorable one for the player, as he won his first UEFA Champions League title.
Decline and Departure from Real Madrid
Despite his fine performance in the 1998 World Cup, Šuker's influence at Real Madrid diminished during the 1998–99 season. This was evident by the fact that he only made 19 appearances and scored 4 goals. The Croatian finally decided to leave after the season concluded.
That was the end of his 8 year run with Los Blancos, during which he won 4 titles and scored 114 goals in 239 appearances. It was also the end of his terrorizing time in Spain, in what was good news for all the defenders in Spain.
Later Career: Arsenal, West Ham and 1860 Munich
Šuker's next chapter in football took him to England, where he had spells with Arsenal and eventually West Ham. He failed to recapture his old form in both clubs, and ultimately failed to adapt to English football.
This was followed by a move to German club 1860 Munich, where he spent his final 2 years before retiring from football.
While his time in England might've been unsuccessful, there was no doubt that the Croatian striker was one of the most lethal players in world football during his time in Spain.
