Slovenia’s young goalkeeper has already made a name for himself in Italy and the 25 year-old Udinese star may get the chance to shine on the biggest stage when his country begins only its second ever World Cup Finals campaign.

 

He began his club career with Domzale but moved to Italy in 2004. Since then, he has spent periods on loan at Treviso, Rimini and Lazio but has now firmly established himself as Udinese’s number one. However, in his current form, a starring role in Slovenia’s South African adventure could well see him moving on to a bigger pond club-wise.

Handanovic is already closing in on 40 international appearances and played a key part in the amazing play-off victory over Russia which sent Slovenia to the finals. As one of the outsiders in the tournament, Slovenia’s participation may be limited to three games. However, if they are to progress further, or even put up a good showing, the performances of Handanovic will be crucial. Perform at his best and Handanovic could earn his country a longer stay in the Southern Hemisphere than they expected – he could also earn himself a lucrative transfer deal in the process.

Samir Handanovic can be seen in live World Cup 2010 action right here at free-football.tv.