As one of those young players who are determined to do what they love from day one, Giannis Michailidis was only five years old when he started his football education. And of course, he has never looked back.

Born on February 18, 2000, he became a member of the Giannitsa Sports Academy, moving through all the age level groups until he was 16, when he joined PAOK. Relatively “old” for the PAOK Academy at that stage, he showed impressively good prospects for PAOK not to try and «exploit» them. From Giannitsa to Thessaloniki then, and from his family home to PAOK Academy house. The transition was difficult at first, as he admitted, mainly due to the intensive training and attending school at the same time. However, this did not affect his performance on the pitch at all.

Up until that point Michailidis played as a defensive midfielder, but he immediately made his presence felt in the defensive line of the Under-17s. A stopper with impressive physical characteristics, being tall and strong, he is also nimble, smart, and fast. A left-footer, Michailidis is also talented with the ball at his feet, standing out for his accurate long passes and the maturity he shows in his game.

With full seasons, first for the Under-17s and then for the Under-19s, he celebrated three consecutive league championships (seasons 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20), and was part of a group of players who went an astonishing series of 70 games without defeat, while he also played in the UEFA Youth League. Having represented Greece at youth level, he was also called up to the full Greece senior squad in August 2020 for the UEFA Nations League matches.

Since being elevated to the PAOK first team squad in March 2019, he has made 78 appearances, scored three goals, produced two assists, and has won one Greek Cup in the 2020-21 season.

Happy Birthday Gianni!