[2] In August 2006, Žigić signed for Spanish club Racing Santander; his goals and his partnership with Pedro Munitis helped them achieve a mid-table finish in La Liga.

Even after relegation to the Championship, and despite increasing efforts to remove his large salary from the financially struggling club's wage bill,[6][7] he remained with Birmingham for the full four years of his contract.

[9][11] During the Yugoslav Wars in 1999, Žigić's hometown was beneath the flight-path of NATO bombers heading for Belgrade; for much of that part of the conflict, the family home was without electricity or running water.

[15] Because he was not considered ready for first-team football at that level, he spent the latter part of the 2002–03 season on loan at Spartak Subotica, another third-tier side,[18] for whom his goalscoring rate was even higher: 14 goals from just 11 league games.

[2] Returning head coach Slavoljub Muslin brought Žigić into Red Star's senior squad for the 2003–04 First League season,[18] and gave him his debut in the starting eleven on the opening day.

That first game ended in defeat,[19] and Žigić's physical appearance – a growth spurt from the age of 16 had brought his height to 2.02 m (6 ft 7+1⁄2 in) – provoked suggestions that he might be better suited to basketball.

[2][29] Žigić scored against Partizan to help Red Star reach the cup final, but was one of five regular starters unavailable for that match through injury or suspension, and his team lost to a last-minute goal to ten-man Železnik.

[31] He helped his team progress through the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup, and according to Reuters' correspondent, "capped a brilliant individual performance with two goals" as well as providing the cross for Milan Purović as Red Star beat Roma 3–1 in the third match of the group stage.

[32] His first goal, a header, appeared to have been scored from an offside position, but for the second, in the 86th minute, he dispossessed Philippe Mexès, evaded two more opponents, and bent the ball into the top corner from 25 m (27 yd) with his weaker left foot.

[43] Partnering the diminutive Pedro Munitis,[44] he contributed 11 goals – including a hat-trick in a 5–4 win over Athletic Bilbao[45] – four assists and five penalties won in league competition over the season as Racing finished tenth.

The efficacy of the pair earned them the nickname of Dúo Sacapuntos (the Two Point-getters[A]);[47] ahead of the coming season, new coach Marcelino García Toral recalled how "we all know how many points Racing picked up when Žigić and Munitis weren't there.

[52] He had been linked with numerous other moves,[53] and Fenerbahçe made an offer that was better financially for both Racing and the player, but Žigić preferred to stay in "the best league in Europe" in a country where he was accustomed to the language and culture.

[57] A mooted loan to English club Portsmouth fell through when Koeman changed his mind about the player leaving,[61] but he made only nine league appearances (two starts) in what remained of the season, and was sent off in the first of those.

This depended on the league allowing Racing to release Luis Fernández on medical grounds, because of a degenerative condition of his knee, thus freeing up a space in the first-team squad.

[64][67] In the 2009 close season, there were rumours linking Žigić with moves to clubs including Sunderland,[68] Monaco,[69] and Bordeaux,[70] but the player insisted his intention was and always had been to be successful with Valencia.

[72] Within four minutes of replacing the injured David Villa in the league match against Racing in October, he took advantage of a defensive error to score the only goal of the game; out of respect for his former club, he did not celebrate.

[78] On 25 May 2010, Žigić signed a four-year contract with Premier League club Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee, which media speculation suggested to be in the region of £6 million.

[20][79] He made his debut on the opening day of the season away at Sunderland: replacing Garry O'Connor in the 58th minute, he came close to scoring from outside the penalty area and "injected a note of panic hitherto undetected" in the home team's defence as Birmingham came back from 2–0 down to secure a draw.

[84] Football manager turned commentator David Pleat wrote that "Birmingham earned their victory through terrific teamwork and astute deployment of Žigić's strengths.

His absence deprived the team of what the Birmingham Mail's reporter called their "most effective style: getting the ball forward early, pressing up the pitch and playing off him", as they were relegated to the Championship.

[86] Despite his agent Milan Ćalasan's insistence that his client would not be playing in the lower divisions,[87] Žigić underwent groin surgery in the close season and resumed his Birmingham career in September.

Birmingham were prepared to give him a free transfer to reduce the wage bill by his reported £50,000 a week, but the deal fell through when board and agent could not agree a payoff for the player,[6] who earlier in the summer had expressed his intention to see out the two years left on his contract.

[92] He began the playing season on the bench, coming off it after 85 minutes to produce a 94th-minute equaliser at home to Charlton Athletic on the opening day,[93] and was used more as substitute than starter by new manager Lee Clark, who preferred Peter Løvenkrands or Leroy Lita.

[96] He did not leave, and in February, Clark publicly criticised him for producing "possibly the worst training session in terms of a professional footballer I have ever come across", despite knowing he was due to start the upcoming game against Watford.

[105] Birmingham were reported to be "quietly confident" of retaining his services for another season, at a much reduced salary, especially as he was believed to be keen on applying for British citizenship, which required five years' residence, but he left at the end of his contract.

[113] He also scored in his next match, against Poland in another friendly, and established himself as a regular selection,[2] but it was his substitute appearance in a crucial World Cup qualifier against Spain in Madrid in September 2005 that brought him wider international recognition.

After a poor first-half – Petković said they "were lucky to be only a goal down at half-time"[114] – Žigić was introduced, and the tactic of "putting him in the centre of the opposition defence and playing long high balls to him ... was remarkably successful".

[116] The result left Serbia-Montenegro top of the group, and they confirmed their qualification at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina when Žigić's assist gave Kežman a tap-in for the only goal of the game.

[118] Still an automatic choice under new national manager Javier Clemente, Žigić scored the only goal in Serbia's first competitive match as a separate country, a Euro 2008 qualifier at home to Azerbaijan in September 2006.

Within two minutes of Miroslav Klose's first-half dismissal, Žigić headed a cross down to Milan Jovanović who scored what proved to be the only goal of the game; Lukas Podolski's second-half penalty was saved, and Antić dedicated the victory to the Serbian people.