Position: Goalkeeper
Born: 30.03.74
Club: Club Brugge

Tomislav Butina was a late developer and had just four years of regular top-flight experience behind him by the age of 30.

He served for many years as understudy to Drazen Ladic at Dinamo Zagreb before eventually taking his place in the Dinamo first team and latterly the international set-up.

He moved to Brugge in the summer of 2003 but as has been the story almost throught his career, he had to wait to shine after being initially employed as back-up to Dany Verlinden.

At international level, Butina had to wait until September 2001 for his debut against San Marino and he remained a peripheral figure - as second choice to Stipe Pletikosa - pretty much until the start of this qualifying campaign.

He now appears to first choice though - he started eight of the qualifiers to Pletikosa's two - and provides a commanding presence as a last line of defence for a Croatia side that conceded just five goals en route to Germanty.