Dimitar Berbatov after a goal for Manchester United

I can’t be in England and not talk about football! And trust me, there is a strong link between great European football and Bulgaria!

Who will be the Premier League Player of the Year this season? According to a poll from The Sun, it is going to be Dimitar Berbatov! He earned 86% of the votes against other top British footballers Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri, Rafael van der Vaart, Charlie Adam, and Gareth Bale.

The Sun called Dimitar Berbatov “THE Bulgarian striker” of Manchester United. So far this season, Berba has played in 19 games and scored 17 goals, including a phenomenal goal against Liverpool, which will very probably become “the goal of the season.” See his season statistics from The Sun.

Berbatov: a footballer, a philanthropist, and a great Bulgarian

In his native Bulgaria, Berbatov is something of a god. He was our Number One Player seven times. From 2006 to 2010, he was captain of the national team, where he scored the record 47 goals.

During his international career, he played for Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham, and is currently Manchester United’s most celebrated striker. Berba is one of the four players in the history of the Premier League to have scored five goals in a single match.

Berbatov was born in Blagoevgrad and played for team Pirin as a youth (of course that the best Bulgarian player is from the same region as my father). Today, he is dedicated not only to football, but also to very noble social initiatives. The mission of the Dimitar Berbatov Foundation is to support and develop talented children in the areas of arts, sciences, and sports. See Berbatov’s official site.

The greatest Bulgarian footballer, Hristo Stoichkov, is close friends with the legendary Diego Maradona even today.

Currently, Berbatov is considered one of the most famous Bulgarians in the world. Interestingly, probably the other most well-known Bulgarian of all times is also a footballer: Hristo Stoichkov. Hristo Stoickhov, also known as the Dagger (Kamata in Bulgarian) is the best Bulgarian footballer of all times. He was renowned for his achievements as Bulgaria’s goal master at the 1994 World Championship and as the most popular player in FC Barcelona (Spain) during its golden age. He also player for Parma (Italy), Japan, Chicago Fire (USA) and DC United (USA). He is bearer of the European Golden Boot Award (38 goals in 30 games). Stoichkov was also know for his hot temper and sharp tongue, as any true Bulgarian should be.