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Post by FullerMagic on Jan 24, 2023 17:05:08 GMT
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Post by Fred Merger on Jan 24, 2023 17:06:14 GMT
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Post by lordb on Jan 24, 2023 17:06:57 GMT
Was at Blues last season and did well |
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Post by FullerMagic on Jan 24, 2023 17:07:37 GMT
Won Birmingham player of the year last season |
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Post by prestwichpotter on Jan 24, 2023 17:09:52 GMT
Won Birmingham player of the year last season Good to hear. Although a fairly low bar I imagine.......... |
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Post by raythesailor on Jan 24, 2023 17:12:53 GMT
Reminds me of when we bought and immediately loaned back some young bloke named Butland.
I wonder where he is now ? 🤔
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Post by etebojan on Jan 24, 2023 17:12:54 GMT
What do you think that means for the whole Iverson/Leicester situation i wonder?
without the Iverson factor hanging over the deal might mean we could push the Souttar cash a bit harder with Leicester
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Post by FullerMagic on Jan 24, 2023 17:13:03 GMT
theathletic.com/3531888/2022/08/24/matija-sarkic-his-extraordinary-journey-across-europe-to-starting-for-wolves/Matija Sarkic’s journey to the brink of the Premier League has been more than a little unconventional.
It has included a childhood spent in Moscow, London and Brussels, footballing spells at Wigan, Stratford, Havant & Waterlooville, Livingston, Shrewsbury and Birmingham with a basketball-playing father in the Montenegrin diplomatic service.
And it began, 25 years ago this summer, in Grimsby.
“Our parents were working in Moscow but in 1997 the Russian doctors recommended to my mother that we be born in the UK and I think she wanted us to be born in the UK anyway,” says Oliver Sarkic, Matija’s twin brother, his junior by four minutes.
“She’s from Grimsby and her family were there so we were born there. But as soon as we were able to get a passport at three weeks old we flew from Humberside to Amsterdam and then on to Moscow.”
There were times in Matija’s life and career when his current role as No 2 goalkeeper at a Premier League club seemed a million miles away.
He was a defender as a child. He fell out of favour at Aston Villa. His first two appearances for Birmingham could hardly have gone worse.
But last night he made his competitive debut for Wolves last night in the 2-1 EFL Cup win over Preston, just one injury or suspension away from a role in the Premier League.
The Sarkic twins learned their football in Belgium. Their father, Bojan, was Montenegro’s ambassador in Brussels, where he has now returned as his country’s ambassador to the European Union.
But it was in London where a young Matija first put on the goalkeeping gloves that have since become the main tools of his trade.
“We grew up in London after we moved there in 1999,” says striker Oliver, who is currently a free agent having recently ended a stint in Uzbekistan.
“We started playing football at school at Bousfield Primary School in Earls Court. One of my friends played in a park on a Sunday and asked me if I wanted to come along. I came back on the first day with a pair of boots and both my brothers wanted to join in.
“From then on we went along every Sunday to play in the park with a team called Chelham, which was basically a play on the names Chelsea and Fulham!
“He (Matija) was a defender initially until, one day, our goalkeeper didn’t show up at around five or six and that just seemed like his position. He was crying every time he let a goal in and every time we lost so it obviously meant something to him. From then on he never questioned what his position was.”
The twins’ time at Chelham ended at the age of seven when Bojan’s work for the Montenegrin government took him to Brussels.
Wife Natalie, a former government official who now runs her own business combating fake news, and the couple’s three children moved with him and it was in the Belgian capital that their football journey accelerated.
“Our main childhood memories are in Brussels,” says Oliver. “Most of our growing up was done there. And me and Matija ended up getting a week’s trial at Anderlecht and after a week they were happy with us.
“From then on we played together until we were about 17 and I ended up moving away to Portugal and at 18 he had a successful trial at Aston Villa.”
If Belgium was the backdrop of their sporting development and London the scene for their formative years, there was never any doubt where their hearts belonged.
Bojan had grown up in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital, and despite their nomadic childhoods, his boys always felt loyal to their father’s home nation.
So when it came to international football, it was an easy decision to make.
“Our big brother, Danilo, was the first one to get an international call-up for the under-16s and we were both really jealous,” says Oliver.
“We always went there on holiday and always loved it. We were all very proud of our Montenegrin heritage, and it’s always nice to play for the underdog. We always like to take on a challenge. That’s how we’ve always been brought up to never back away from a challenge.”
Danilo’s career hit a roadblock when, having agreed to join Leicester City as a talented teenaged defender, he failed a medical and lost two years of action with knee problems.
He is now enjoying his football in Belgium’s third division.
His younger siblings, though, have become regular members of a Montenegrin team whose stars have included Stevan Jovetic and Stefan Savic — both regulars for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
And with lengthy careers still ahead, the twins have designs on bringing glory to the small nation.
“It’s a small country with only a 650,000 population but it’s always been very active in terms of sport and all of the players are active in top leagues in Europe and Asia,” says Oliver. “The younger generations are getting better and better because players are moving abroad earlier and the coaching and facilities are improving.
“It’s a young country. It only got its independence in 2006 so in our time playing the hope is to qualify for a major tournament. The more likely one would be a European Championship and then hopefully a World Cup.
“We got close in the 2012 Euros when we lost the Czech Republic in the play-offs and we ended up 17th in the world and the feeling was that was the closest we’d ever get.
“So far that’s been true but we’re hopeful that with the younger generation there is the possibility to really do well in a qualifying group stage.”
On the club stage, Oliver left Belgium for Benfica in 2015, signed for Leeds in 2018, played on loan for Burton Albion and Blackpool among others and played most recently in Tashkent.
Matija left Anderlecht in 2016 when he was recommended by a scout to Aston Villa.
“I could see what he had,” says Andy Marshall, the goalkeeping coach who was tasked by Villa with running the rule over Sarkic and two others hopeful of claiming a place in the club’s under-23s.
“He was a bit wet behind the ears in football terms because he was young, but his maturity and intellect made it very easy to recommend that the club sign him. I think they paid Anderlecht about £20,000 for him. The moment you told Matija something, he was able to absorb and retain that information very quickly.
“As a coach that is priceless because if you are able to teach somebody something by telling them once rather than 10 times you can quickly move on and advance their career. His shot-stopping was very good, his kicking was OK and on crosses he was OK at best.
“But the big thing was, when you looked him in the eyes, he was listening with his eyes and that is priceless. It was that desire of wanting to improve and knowing how quickly we could improve him that stood out for me.”
From Villa, Sarkic spent time on loan at Wigan, Havant, Stratford and Livingston but, with his mentor Marshall having left, he found himself drifting.
When Wolves showed an interest in 2020, he quickly made the decision to move across the West Midlands.
He impressed on loan at Shrewsbury in 2020-21, and last season made his biggest forward step to date when Marshall — by then working at Birmingham under Lee Bowyer — found himself with a crisis to address.
“When Neil Etheridge went down with COVID-19 just before the season there was an opportunity to bring a young goalkeeper in and, knowing the budget I was working with, there wasn’t a vast amount of options on the market,” says Marshall, who is now with Millwall.
“Knowing Matija and knowing where he could get to, it was just a case of bringing him up to speed and giving him an opportunity in the Championship.
“In his first pre-season game at Northampton he made a mistake and in his next game he struggled a bit.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh crap, maybe I’ve dropped a clanger here!’. But, deep down, I knew the levels that Matija could get to and I just needed that little bit of time to get him there.
“I believed in Matija and what he could achieve. The biggest change was his physicality. When he first came to me at Villa he was a skinny, weedy little thing, but at Birmingham he was an athlete — big and strong.”
Sarkic dislocated his shoulder and returned to Wolves in January. However, his performances in just 23 Championship appearances earned him Birmingham’s player of the year award.
It also convinced Wolves that, when they released John Ruddy in the summer, Sarkic was ready to become the chief understudy to their own 2021-22 player of the year Jose Sa.
He has figured on the bench in their first three Premier League matches of the season and last night started in the EFL Cup against Preston at Molineux.
He conceded a disappointing goal from Ben Woodburn as Preston staged a second-half rally but handled and kicked confidently as Wolves’ dominant first-half display and fine goals from Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore took them into the third round.
It is the latest chapter in a fascinating life story.
“He’s a confident, intellectual, smart young man, comes from a good family, speaks five or six languages and takes pride in doing things the right way,” says Marshall.
“He is meticulous, not just in his football and in his life, and that’s how his family have taught him to be. Everything that Matija does in his life has to have a reason. He doesn’t just do things flippantly. He has great attention to detail and he will go on to have a great career.”
Twin Oliver adds: “We have followed each other from day one. We are in touch on a daily basis.
“He always wanted to play in the Premier League and he has backed himself from day one to do so. Now he’s almost there and there is a lot of pride there for the family.
“We have been doing shooting sessions since we were about 10 so I’m going to have to take some of the credit!”
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Post by CBUFAWKIPWH on Jan 24, 2023 17:13:08 GMT
Won Birmingham player of the year last season Good to hear. Although a fairly low bar I imagine.......... A low bar would certainly help a goalkeeper look good. |
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Post by scfc75 on Jan 24, 2023 17:13:35 GMT
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Post by Caerwrangonpotter on Jan 24, 2023 17:14:30 GMT
Well thats one position sorted then
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Post by lordb on Jan 24, 2023 17:15:19 GMT
What do you think that means for the whole Iverson/Leicester situation i wonder? without the Iverson factor hanging over the deal might mean we could push the Souttar cash a bit harder with Leicester And other clubs Iverson could be one for the summer? |
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Post by Fred Merger on Jan 24, 2023 17:15:38 GMT
What do you think that means for the whole Iverson/Leicester situation i wonder? without the Iverson factor hanging over the deal might mean we could push the Souttar cash a bit harder with Leicester I wondered the same,maybe stops Leicester having us over a barrel with regards to Iverson! |
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Post by lordb on Jan 24, 2023 17:17:04 GMT
theathletic.com/3531888/2022/08/24/matija-sarkic-his-extraordinary-journey-across-europe-to-starting-for-wolves/Matija Sarkic’s journey to the brink of the Premier League has been more than a little unconventional.
It has included a childhood spent in Moscow, London and Brussels, footballing spells at Wigan, Stratford, Havant & Waterlooville, Livingston, Shrewsbury and Birmingham with a basketball-playing father in the Montenegrin diplomatic service.
And it began, 25 years ago this summer, in Grimsby.
“Our parents were working in Moscow but in 1997 the Russian doctors recommended to my mother that we be born in the UK and I think she wanted us to be born in the UK anyway,” says Oliver Sarkic, Matija’s twin brother, his junior by four minutes.
“She’s from Grimsby and her family were there so we were born there. But as soon as we were able to get a passport at three weeks old we flew from Humberside to Amsterdam and then on to Moscow.”
There were times in Matija’s life and career when his current role as No 2 goalkeeper at a Premier League club seemed a million miles away.
He was a defender as a child. He fell out of favour at Aston Villa. His first two appearances for Birmingham could hardly have gone worse.
But last night he made his competitive debut for Wolves last night in the 2-1 EFL Cup win over Preston, just one injury or suspension away from a role in the Premier League.
The Sarkic twins learned their football in Belgium. Their father, Bojan, was Montenegro’s ambassador in Brussels, where he has now returned as his country’s ambassador to the European Union.
But it was in London where a young Matija first put on the goalkeeping gloves that have since become the main tools of his trade.
“We grew up in London after we moved there in 1999,” says striker Oliver, who is currently a free agent having recently ended a stint in Uzbekistan.
“We started playing football at school at Bousfield Primary School in Earls Court. One of my friends played in a park on a Sunday and asked me if I wanted to come along. I came back on the first day with a pair of boots and both my brothers wanted to join in.
“From then on we went along every Sunday to play in the park with a team called Chelham, which was basically a play on the names Chelsea and Fulham!
“He (Matija) was a defender initially until, one day, our goalkeeper didn’t show up at around five or six and that just seemed like his position. He was crying every time he let a goal in and every time we lost so it obviously meant something to him. From then on he never questioned what his position was.”
The twins’ time at Chelham ended at the age of seven when Bojan’s work for the Montenegrin government took him to Brussels.
Wife Natalie, a former government official who now runs her own business combating fake news, and the couple’s three children moved with him and it was in the Belgian capital that their football journey accelerated.
“Our main childhood memories are in Brussels,” says Oliver. “Most of our growing up was done there. And me and Matija ended up getting a week’s trial at Anderlecht and after a week they were happy with us.
“From then on we played together until we were about 17 and I ended up moving away to Portugal and at 18 he had a successful trial at Aston Villa.”
If Belgium was the backdrop of their sporting development and London the scene for their formative years, there was never any doubt where their hearts belonged.
Bojan had grown up in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital, and despite their nomadic childhoods, his boys always felt loyal to their father’s home nation.
So when it came to international football, it was an easy decision to make.
“Our big brother, Danilo, was the first one to get an international call-up for the under-16s and we were both really jealous,” says Oliver.
“We always went there on holiday and always loved it. We were all very proud of our Montenegrin heritage, and it’s always nice to play for the underdog. We always like to take on a challenge. That’s how we’ve always been brought up to never back away from a challenge.”
Danilo’s career hit a roadblock when, having agreed to join Leicester City as a talented teenaged defender, he failed a medical and lost two years of action with knee problems.
He is now enjoying his football in Belgium’s third division.
His younger siblings, though, have become regular members of a Montenegrin team whose stars have included Stevan Jovetic and Stefan Savic — both regulars for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
And with lengthy careers still ahead, the twins have designs on bringing glory to the small nation.
“It’s a small country with only a 650,000 population but it’s always been very active in terms of sport and all of the players are active in top leagues in Europe and Asia,” says Oliver. “The younger generations are getting better and better because players are moving abroad earlier and the coaching and facilities are improving.
“It’s a young country. It only got its independence in 2006 so in our time playing the hope is to qualify for a major tournament. The more likely one would be a European Championship and then hopefully a World Cup.
“We got close in the 2012 Euros when we lost the Czech Republic in the play-offs and we ended up 17th in the world and the feeling was that was the closest we’d ever get.
“So far that’s been true but we’re hopeful that with the younger generation there is the possibility to really do well in a qualifying group stage.”
On the club stage, Oliver left Belgium for Benfica in 2015, signed for Leeds in 2018, played on loan for Burton Albion and Blackpool among others and played most recently in Tashkent.
Matija left Anderlecht in 2016 when he was recommended by a scout to Aston Villa.
“I could see what he had,” says Andy Marshall, the goalkeeping coach who was tasked by Villa with running the rule over Sarkic and two others hopeful of claiming a place in the club’s under-23s.
“He was a bit wet behind the ears in football terms because he was young, but his maturity and intellect made it very easy to recommend that the club sign him. I think they paid Anderlecht about £20,000 for him. The moment you told Matija something, he was able to absorb and retain that information very quickly.
“As a coach that is priceless because if you are able to teach somebody something by telling them once rather than 10 times you can quickly move on and advance their career. His shot-stopping was very good, his kicking was OK and on crosses he was OK at best.
“But the big thing was, when you looked him in the eyes, he was listening with his eyes and that is priceless. It was that desire of wanting to improve and knowing how quickly we could improve him that stood out for me.”
From Villa, Sarkic spent time on loan at Wigan, Havant, Stratford and Livingston but, with his mentor Marshall having left, he found himself drifting.
When Wolves showed an interest in 2020, he quickly made the decision to move across the West Midlands.
He impressed on loan at Shrewsbury in 2020-21, and last season made his biggest forward step to date when Marshall — by then working at Birmingham under Lee Bowyer — found himself with a crisis to address.
“When Neil Etheridge went down with COVID-19 just before the season there was an opportunity to bring a young goalkeeper in and, knowing the budget I was working with, there wasn’t a vast amount of options on the market,” says Marshall, who is now with Millwall.
“Knowing Matija and knowing where he could get to, it was just a case of bringing him up to speed and giving him an opportunity in the Championship.
“In his first pre-season game at Northampton he made a mistake and in his next game he struggled a bit.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh crap, maybe I’ve dropped a clanger here!’. But, deep down, I knew the levels that Matija could get to and I just needed that little bit of time to get him there.
“I believed in Matija and what he could achieve. The biggest change was his physicality. When he first came to me at Villa he was a skinny, weedy little thing, but at Birmingham he was an athlete — big and strong.”
Sarkic dislocated his shoulder and returned to Wolves in January. However, his performances in just 23 Championship appearances earned him Birmingham’s player of the year award.
It also convinced Wolves that, when they released John Ruddy in the summer, Sarkic was ready to become the chief understudy to their own 2021-22 player of the year Jose Sa.
He has figured on the bench in their first three Premier League matches of the season and last night started in the EFL Cup against Preston at Molineux.
He conceded a disappointing goal from Ben Woodburn as Preston staged a second-half rally but handled and kicked confidently as Wolves’ dominant first-half display and fine goals from Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore took them into the third round.
It is the latest chapter in a fascinating life story.
“He’s a confident, intellectual, smart young man, comes from a good family, speaks five or six languages and takes pride in doing things the right way,” says Marshall.
“He is meticulous, not just in his football and in his life, and that’s how his family have taught him to be. Everything that Matija does in his life has to have a reason. He doesn’t just do things flippantly. He has great attention to detail and he will go on to have a great career.”
Twin Oliver adds: “We have followed each other from day one. We are in touch on a daily basis.
“He always wanted to play in the Premier League and he has backed himself from day one to do so. Now he’s almost there and there is a lot of pride there for the family.
“We have been doing shooting sessions since we were about 10 so I’m going to have to take some of the credit!”
Dad called Bojan... Sold |
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Post by leesandfordstoupe on Jan 24, 2023 17:18:13 GMT
What's his contract situation being as we weren't going to loan other teams players to develop them for them?
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Post by Roger Everyone on Jan 24, 2023 17:18:13 GMT
Good move, I think most people will agree we need an improvement on what we have and this lad fits the bill.
Still I will believe it when it's signed sealed and delivered.
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Post by lordb on Jan 24, 2023 17:20:56 GMT
What's his contract situation being as we weren't going to loan other teams players to develop them for them? Good question Loans with a view to buy could be a different angle Bottom line is he keeps the ball out of the net |
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Post by theonlooker on Jan 24, 2023 17:24:20 GMT
Just looked at his Wiki.
Name - Matija Sarkic
Place of birth.....
....Grimsby.
🤣
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Post by Cartman on Jan 24, 2023 17:24:37 GMT
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Post by etebojan on Jan 24, 2023 17:25:05 GMT
What do you think that means for the whole Iverson/Leicester situation i wonder? without the Iverson factor hanging over the deal might mean we could push the Souttar cash a bit harder with Leicester I wondered the same,maybe stops Leicester having us over a barrel with regards to Iverson! Certainly might take a lot of extra complexity out of the deal, and opens up chance for others like West Ham to fly in with their cheque book |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2023 17:25:34 GMT
theathletic.com/3531888/2022/08/24/matija-sarkic-his-extraordinary-journey-across-europe-to-starting-for-wolves/Matija Sarkic’s journey to the brink of the Premier League has been more than a little unconventional.
It has included a childhood spent in Moscow, London and Brussels, footballing spells at Wigan, Stratford, Havant & Waterlooville, Livingston, Shrewsbury and Birmingham with a basketball-playing father in the Montenegrin diplomatic service.
And it began, 25 years ago this summer, in Grimsby.
“Our parents were working in Moscow but in 1997 the Russian doctors recommended to my mother that we be born in the UK and I think she wanted us to be born in the UK anyway,” says Oliver Sarkic, Matija’s twin brother, his junior by four minutes.
“She’s from Grimsby and her family were there so we were born there. But as soon as we were able to get a passport at three weeks old we flew from Humberside to Amsterdam and then on to Moscow.”
There were times in Matija’s life and career when his current role as No 2 goalkeeper at a Premier League club seemed a million miles away.
He was a defender as a child. He fell out of favour at Aston Villa. His first two appearances for Birmingham could hardly have gone worse.
But last night he made his competitive debut for Wolves last night in the 2-1 EFL Cup win over Preston, just one injury or suspension away from a role in the Premier League.
The Sarkic twins learned their football in Belgium. Their father, Bojan, was Montenegro’s ambassador in Brussels, where he has now returned as his country’s ambassador to the European Union.
But it was in London where a young Matija first put on the goalkeeping gloves that have since become the main tools of his trade.
“We grew up in London after we moved there in 1999,” says striker Oliver, who is currently a free agent having recently ended a stint in Uzbekistan.
“We started playing football at school at Bousfield Primary School in Earls Court. One of my friends played in a park on a Sunday and asked me if I wanted to come along. I came back on the first day with a pair of boots and both my brothers wanted to join in.
“From then on we went along every Sunday to play in the park with a team called Chelham, which was basically a play on the names Chelsea and Fulham!
“He (Matija) was a defender initially until, one day, our goalkeeper didn’t show up at around five or six and that just seemed like his position. He was crying every time he let a goal in and every time we lost so it obviously meant something to him. From then on he never questioned what his position was.”
The twins’ time at Chelham ended at the age of seven when Bojan’s work for the Montenegrin government took him to Brussels.
Wife Natalie, a former government official who now runs her own business combating fake news, and the couple’s three children moved with him and it was in the Belgian capital that their football journey accelerated.
“Our main childhood memories are in Brussels,” says Oliver. “Most of our growing up was done there. And me and Matija ended up getting a week’s trial at Anderlecht and after a week they were happy with us.
“From then on we played together until we were about 17 and I ended up moving away to Portugal and at 18 he had a successful trial at Aston Villa.”
If Belgium was the backdrop of their sporting development and London the scene for their formative years, there was never any doubt where their hearts belonged.
Bojan had grown up in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital, and despite their nomadic childhoods, his boys always felt loyal to their father’s home nation.
So when it came to international football, it was an easy decision to make.
“Our big brother, Danilo, was the first one to get an international call-up for the under-16s and we were both really jealous,” says Oliver.
“We always went there on holiday and always loved it. We were all very proud of our Montenegrin heritage, and it’s always nice to play for the underdog. We always like to take on a challenge. That’s how we’ve always been brought up to never back away from a challenge.”
Danilo’s career hit a roadblock when, having agreed to join Leicester City as a talented teenaged defender, he failed a medical and lost two years of action with knee problems.
He is now enjoying his football in Belgium’s third division.
His younger siblings, though, have become regular members of a Montenegrin team whose stars have included Stevan Jovetic and Stefan Savic — both regulars for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
And with lengthy careers still ahead, the twins have designs on bringing glory to the small nation.
“It’s a small country with only a 650,000 population but it’s always been very active in terms of sport and all of the players are active in top leagues in Europe and Asia,” says Oliver. “The younger generations are getting better and better because players are moving abroad earlier and the coaching and facilities are improving.
“It’s a young country. It only got its independence in 2006 so in our time playing the hope is to qualify for a major tournament. The more likely one would be a European Championship and then hopefully a World Cup.
“We got close in the 2012 Euros when we lost the Czech Republic in the play-offs and we ended up 17th in the world and the feeling was that was the closest we’d ever get.
“So far that’s been true but we’re hopeful that with the younger generation there is the possibility to really do well in a qualifying group stage.”
On the club stage, Oliver left Belgium for Benfica in 2015, signed for Leeds in 2018, played on loan for Burton Albion and Blackpool among others and played most recently in Tashkent.
Matija left Anderlecht in 2016 when he was recommended by a scout to Aston Villa.
“I could see what he had,” says Andy Marshall, the goalkeeping coach who was tasked by Villa with running the rule over Sarkic and two others hopeful of claiming a place in the club’s under-23s.
“He was a bit wet behind the ears in football terms because he was young, but his maturity and intellect made it very easy to recommend that the club sign him. I think they paid Anderlecht about £20,000 for him. The moment you told Matija something, he was able to absorb and retain that information very quickly.
“As a coach that is priceless because if you are able to teach somebody something by telling them once rather than 10 times you can quickly move on and advance their career. His shot-stopping was very good, his kicking was OK and on crosses he was OK at best.
“But the big thing was, when you looked him in the eyes, he was listening with his eyes and that is priceless. It was that desire of wanting to improve and knowing how quickly we could improve him that stood out for me.”
From Villa, Sarkic spent time on loan at Wigan, Havant, Stratford and Livingston but, with his mentor Marshall having left, he found himself drifting.
When Wolves showed an interest in 2020, he quickly made the decision to move across the West Midlands.
He impressed on loan at Shrewsbury in 2020-21, and last season made his biggest forward step to date when Marshall — by then working at Birmingham under Lee Bowyer — found himself with a crisis to address.
“When Neil Etheridge went down with COVID-19 just before the season there was an opportunity to bring a young goalkeeper in and, knowing the budget I was working with, there wasn’t a vast amount of options on the market,” says Marshall, who is now with Millwall.
“Knowing Matija and knowing where he could get to, it was just a case of bringing him up to speed and giving him an opportunity in the Championship.
“In his first pre-season game at Northampton he made a mistake and in his next game he struggled a bit.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh crap, maybe I’ve dropped a clanger here!’. But, deep down, I knew the levels that Matija could get to and I just needed that little bit of time to get him there.
“I believed in Matija and what he could achieve. The biggest change was his physicality. When he first came to me at Villa he was a skinny, weedy little thing, but at Birmingham he was an athlete — big and strong.”
Sarkic dislocated his shoulder and returned to Wolves in January. However, his performances in just 23 Championship appearances earned him Birmingham’s player of the year award.
It also convinced Wolves that, when they released John Ruddy in the summer, Sarkic was ready to become the chief understudy to their own 2021-22 player of the year Jose Sa.
He has figured on the bench in their first three Premier League matches of the season and last night started in the EFL Cup against Preston at Molineux.
He conceded a disappointing goal from Ben Woodburn as Preston staged a second-half rally but handled and kicked confidently as Wolves’ dominant first-half display and fine goals from Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore took them into the third round.
It is the latest chapter in a fascinating life story.
“He’s a confident, intellectual, smart young man, comes from a good family, speaks five or six languages and takes pride in doing things the right way,” says Marshall.
“He is meticulous, not just in his football and in his life, and that’s how his family have taught him to be. Everything that Matija does in his life has to have a reason. He doesn’t just do things flippantly. He has great attention to detail and he will go on to have a great career.”
Twin Oliver adds: “We have followed each other from day one. We are in touch on a daily basis.
“He always wanted to play in the Premier League and he has backed himself from day one to do so. Now he’s almost there and there is a lot of pride there for the family.
“We have been doing shooting sessions since we were about 10 so I’m going to have to take some of the credit!”
Fair play to anyone who can be arsed to read all that  |
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Post by prestwichpotter on Jan 24, 2023 17:26:55 GMT
Just looked at his Wiki. Name - Matija Sarkic Place of birth..... ....Grimsby. 🤣 "His father, Bojan Šarkić, is a Montenegrin diplomat who, as of October 2017, was the country's ambassador to the European Union. He previously served as ambassador to the United Kingdom and to Belgium." What the hell was he doing in Grimsby?  EDIT Ignore that I've just seen The Athletic article.......... |
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Post by etebojan on Jan 24, 2023 17:26:57 GMT
Flippen eck he looks decent from that evidence |
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Post by chuffedstokie on Jan 24, 2023 17:27:42 GMT
theathletic.com/3531888/2022/08/24/matija-sarkic-his-extraordinary-journey-across-europe-to-starting-for-wolves/Matija Sarkic’s journey to the brink of the Premier League has been more than a little unconventional.
It has included a childhood spent in Moscow, London and Brussels, footballing spells at Wigan, Stratford, Havant & Waterlooville, Livingston, Shrewsbury and Birmingham with a basketball-playing father in the Montenegrin diplomatic service.
And it began, 25 years ago this summer, in Grimsby.
“Our parents were working in Moscow but in 1997 the Russian doctors recommended to my mother that we be born in the UK and I think she wanted us to be born in the UK anyway,” says Oliver Sarkic, Matija’s twin brother, his junior by four minutes.
“She’s from Grimsby and her family were there so we were born there. But as soon as we were able to get a passport at three weeks old we flew from Humberside to Amsterdam and then on to Moscow.”
There were times in Matija’s life and career when his current role as No 2 goalkeeper at a Premier League club seemed a million miles away.
He was a defender as a child. He fell out of favour at Aston Villa. His first two appearances for Birmingham could hardly have gone worse.
But last night he made his competitive debut for Wolves last night in the 2-1 EFL Cup win over Preston, just one injury or suspension away from a role in the Premier League.
The Sarkic twins learned their football in Belgium. Their father, Bojan, was Montenegro’s ambassador in Brussels, where he has now returned as his country’s ambassador to the European Union.
But it was in London where a young Matija first put on the goalkeeping gloves that have since become the main tools of his trade.
“We grew up in London after we moved there in 1999,” says striker Oliver, who is currently a free agent having recently ended a stint in Uzbekistan.
“We started playing football at school at Bousfield Primary School in Earls Court. One of my friends played in a park on a Sunday and asked me if I wanted to come along. I came back on the first day with a pair of boots and both my brothers wanted to join in.
“From then on we went along every Sunday to play in the park with a team called Chelham, which was basically a play on the names Chelsea and Fulham!
“He (Matija) was a defender initially until, one day, our goalkeeper didn’t show up at around five or six and that just seemed like his position. He was crying every time he let a goal in and every time we lost so it obviously meant something to him. From then on he never questioned what his position was.”
The twins’ time at Chelham ended at the age of seven when Bojan’s work for the Montenegrin government took him to Brussels.
Wife Natalie, a former government official who now runs her own business combating fake news, and the couple’s three children moved with him and it was in the Belgian capital that their football journey accelerated.
“Our main childhood memories are in Brussels,” says Oliver. “Most of our growing up was done there. And me and Matija ended up getting a week’s trial at Anderlecht and after a week they were happy with us.
“From then on we played together until we were about 17 and I ended up moving away to Portugal and at 18 he had a successful trial at Aston Villa.”
If Belgium was the backdrop of their sporting development and London the scene for their formative years, there was never any doubt where their hearts belonged.
Bojan had grown up in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital, and despite their nomadic childhoods, his boys always felt loyal to their father’s home nation.
So when it came to international football, it was an easy decision to make.
“Our big brother, Danilo, was the first one to get an international call-up for the under-16s and we were both really jealous,” says Oliver.
“We always went there on holiday and always loved it. We were all very proud of our Montenegrin heritage, and it’s always nice to play for the underdog. We always like to take on a challenge. That’s how we’ve always been brought up to never back away from a challenge.”
Danilo’s career hit a roadblock when, having agreed to join Leicester City as a talented teenaged defender, he failed a medical and lost two years of action with knee problems.
He is now enjoying his football in Belgium’s third division.
His younger siblings, though, have become regular members of a Montenegrin team whose stars have included Stevan Jovetic and Stefan Savic — both regulars for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
And with lengthy careers still ahead, the twins have designs on bringing glory to the small nation.
“It’s a small country with only a 650,000 population but it’s always been very active in terms of sport and all of the players are active in top leagues in Europe and Asia,” says Oliver. “The younger generations are getting better and better because players are moving abroad earlier and the coaching and facilities are improving.
“It’s a young country. It only got its independence in 2006 so in our time playing the hope is to qualify for a major tournament. The more likely one would be a European Championship and then hopefully a World Cup.
“We got close in the 2012 Euros when we lost the Czech Republic in the play-offs and we ended up 17th in the world and the feeling was that was the closest we’d ever get.
“So far that’s been true but we’re hopeful that with the younger generation there is the possibility to really do well in a qualifying group stage.”
On the club stage, Oliver left Belgium for Benfica in 2015, signed for Leeds in 2018, played on loan for Burton Albion and Blackpool among others and played most recently in Tashkent.
Matija left Anderlecht in 2016 when he was recommended by a scout to Aston Villa.
“I could see what he had,” says Andy Marshall, the goalkeeping coach who was tasked by Villa with running the rule over Sarkic and two others hopeful of claiming a place in the club’s under-23s.
“He was a bit wet behind the ears in football terms because he was young, but his maturity and intellect made it very easy to recommend that the club sign him. I think they paid Anderlecht about £20,000 for him. The moment you told Matija something, he was able to absorb and retain that information very quickly.
“As a coach that is priceless because if you are able to teach somebody something by telling them once rather than 10 times you can quickly move on and advance their career. His shot-stopping was very good, his kicking was OK and on crosses he was OK at best.
“But the big thing was, when you looked him in the eyes, he was listening with his eyes and that is priceless. It was that desire of wanting to improve and knowing how quickly we could improve him that stood out for me.”
From Villa, Sarkic spent time on loan at Wigan, Havant, Stratford and Livingston but, with his mentor Marshall having left, he found himself drifting.
When Wolves showed an interest in 2020, he quickly made the decision to move across the West Midlands.
He impressed on loan at Shrewsbury in 2020-21, and last season made his biggest forward step to date when Marshall — by then working at Birmingham under Lee Bowyer — found himself with a crisis to address.
“When Neil Etheridge went down with COVID-19 just before the season there was an opportunity to bring a young goalkeeper in and, knowing the budget I was working with, there wasn’t a vast amount of options on the market,” says Marshall, who is now with Millwall.
“Knowing Matija and knowing where he could get to, it was just a case of bringing him up to speed and giving him an opportunity in the Championship.
“In his first pre-season game at Northampton he made a mistake and in his next game he struggled a bit.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh crap, maybe I’ve dropped a clanger here!’. But, deep down, I knew the levels that Matija could get to and I just needed that little bit of time to get him there.
“I believed in Matija and what he could achieve. The biggest change was his physicality. When he first came to me at Villa he was a skinny, weedy little thing, but at Birmingham he was an athlete — big and strong.”
Sarkic dislocated his shoulder and returned to Wolves in January. However, his performances in just 23 Championship appearances earned him Birmingham’s player of the year award.
It also convinced Wolves that, when they released John Ruddy in the summer, Sarkic was ready to become the chief understudy to their own 2021-22 player of the year Jose Sa.
He has figured on the bench in their first three Premier League matches of the season and last night started in the EFL Cup against Preston at Molineux.
He conceded a disappointing goal from Ben Woodburn as Preston staged a second-half rally but handled and kicked confidently as Wolves’ dominant first-half display and fine goals from Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore took them into the third round.
It is the latest chapter in a fascinating life story.
“He’s a confident, intellectual, smart young man, comes from a good family, speaks five or six languages and takes pride in doing things the right way,” says Marshall.
“He is meticulous, not just in his football and in his life, and that’s how his family have taught him to be. Everything that Matija does in his life has to have a reason. He doesn’t just do things flippantly. He has great attention to detail and he will go on to have a great career.”
Twin Oliver adds: “We have followed each other from day one. We are in touch on a daily basis.
“He always wanted to play in the Premier League and he has backed himself from day one to do so. Now he’s almost there and there is a lot of pride there for the family.
“We have been doing shooting sessions since we were about 10 so I’m going to have to take some of the credit!”
That's quite a read, fascinating is putting it mildly. |
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Post by bloodtypered on Jan 24, 2023 17:27:54 GMT
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Post by Veritas on Jan 24, 2023 17:29:31 GMT
What's his contract situation being as we weren't going to loan other teams players to develop them for them? Good question Loans with a view to buy could be a different angle Bottom line is he keeps the ball out of the net Looks like he is under contract until 2025 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2023 17:29:39 GMT
What do you think that means for the whole Iverson/Leicester situation i wonder? without the Iverson factor hanging over the deal might mean we could push the Souttar cash a bit harder with Leicester I am guessing it might mean Leicester like having 2 good goalies and want to keep it that way. When we had bego and sorro we wanted to keep 2 good goalies You would imagine this inflates the fee for souttar though |
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Post by FullerMagic on Jan 24, 2023 17:30:23 GMT
Signed a 3-yr deal in the summer, but their local paper raised the possibility of him being sold permanently over Christmas
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Post by terryconroysmagic on Jan 24, 2023 17:32:03 GMT
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Post by terryconroysmagic on Jan 24, 2023 17:32:17 GMT
Any good, anyone?
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