Aleksandar Tirnanić

Aleksandar "Tirke" Tirnanić (15 July 1911 in Krnjevo village near Smederevo, Kingdom of Serbia – 13 December 1992 in Belgrade, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia) was a Serbian football (soccer) player and manager.

Tirnanić spent his entire senior club career with BSK Beograd for which he appeared in 500 matches. Additionally, he earned 50 caps and scored 12 goals for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national team from 1929 to 1940, also appearing in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. Later, he coached the Yugoslav team in two more World Cups, 1954 and 1958.

Born in a central Serbian village, Tirnanić was still in infancy when his working class family moved to the capital Belgrade. He barely remembered his father, a metal factory worker who died in 1914 as part of Royal Serbian Army World War I effort.

Raised by a single mother, young Tirnanić quickly developed a love for football, which he played endlessly at Bara Venecija pitches on the Sava River's right bank. He got spotted there by coach Radenko Mitrović who brought the talented youngster to SK Jugoslavija youth setup. However, Tirnanić soon moved to arch crosstown rival BSK youth squad where he quickly developed into a notable right winger. Realizing his potential, he completely immersed himself in football and pretty much abandoned school.

He made his first team senior debut as a 17-year-old, quickly marking himself out as an able and temperamental player, and forming a midfield partnership with Moša Marjanović

Tirnanić played in the world cup in 1930. The day before he turned 19 he scored a goal, which made him at the time the youngest goalscorer in the World Cup. Later he has been beaten by Manuel Rosas in 1930, Pelé in 1958, Michael Owen in 1998, Dmitri Sychev in 2002 and latest Lionel Messi in 2006, which makes him the sixth youngest goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup

References

* [http://www.reprezentacija.co.yu/reprezentativci/Tirnanic_Aleksandar.htm Serbian national football team website]