Good luck Oliver Sarkic...

I've never been a fan of transfer windows for loads of reasons but there was one particular piece of news yesterday - and a few speculative suggestions thereafter, which jumped out a mile.

'Blackpool forward Oliver Sarkic departs by mutual consent'.

Ollie Sarkic at Blackpool (Photo: Stephen White).

Some people might question why I've got an interest (and kept a watchful eye) on a player who has hardly played any football over the past 12 months due to injuries but the reason is simple. 

Oli Sarkic has the potential, qualities, characteristics, talent and hard-working attitude to be someone who'll succeed at whichever club he joins next. I don't doubt it for a second. 'Luck' often counts for plenty in football and, as with any player, he'll need it in terms of staying injury-free and also having a decent enough platform to showcase his abilities. However, when you have the qualities and characteristics which Oli possesses, it reduces the risk factor substantially.

Gifted, skilful and attack-minded in equal measure, he's capable using both feet and has scored various goals in the past - the best of which was probably his strike for Burton Albion at MK Dons in 2019. Easily able to operate anywhere across a front three he was primarily used in the wide-right spot at Burton although he played in a central role during his Benfica days. He'll suit the style of a possession-based team with an element of fluidity who want to play, be creative, are quick in transitions and generally pleasing on the eye - and he'll certainly contribute out of possession as well.

A lot of websites describe him as a 'Centre-Forward' but there are many more strings to his bow than that generic description suggests. His goals return of five goals in 29 starts, during his time in England to date, shows that he's not as prolific as some people might want a front player to be, but his contribution to the cause in terms of attitude and work-ethic cannot be faulted.

There are plenty of neat and tidy attributes and elements to his game and just because he's been unfortunate with injuries in the past, he shouldn't get an unfair tag as a result of that. So many players have had spells out with a prolonged or persistent injury yet have still achieved loads after completing their rehab - and I've every confidence that considering age is still hugely on his side, Oli is someone who can achieve plenty - including that much-desired first senior international call-up for Montenegro!

His recent spell at Blackpool is one of those which just didn't work out the way anyone would have hoped for initially and sometimes that just happens in football. There'll always be doubters of a certain inclination who'll disregard a player after such a scenario which is fair enough, but I fully believe in his qualities - and I'll always back my judgements on players! 

Through his twin brother, Matija, is how I've ended up monitoring Oli's progress. 

Mati is the best 'keeper that I've watched at youth level anywhere in recent years - stemming as far back as when Tim Sherwood brought him to Aston Villa. Nowadays contracted at Wolves, he's just finished a loan stint at Birmingham City, has already been capped at international level, and is on course to achieve many of his own aspirations over the next few years - including that sought-after Premier League debut which will certainly materialise at some point.

When you research a player who is 'decent', if it's done properly then it's done to the nth degree where you learn everything about them; their character being just as fundamentally important as their attributes out on a football pitch.

Everything gets noted and it's through that research I've come to understand Oli is a positive, hard-working and dedicated pro who'll give it everything. He's someone who wants to play football, strive to be the best he possibly can and achieve as much as possible. He had a superb academy upbringing (more on that below) having played alongside and against some ridiculously talented players and it was instantly obvious to spot the qualities he can offer when I watched him 'live' for the first time when Burton drew 2-2 at Doncaster in November 2019.

Ironically, there's been some 'speculative suggestions' on social media in the last 24 hours that he could be the next arrival at Doncaster (which is my hometown). I don't think there's anything more to it than just pure suggestion, speculation or rumour, but in any case here's a bit more background information on the Montenegro youth international...

Oli and Mati Sarkic having just represented Montenegro U21s in 2016 (Photo: Unknown).

A nomadic lifestyle across Europe!

To say that Oli has led a nomadic lifestyle up to now would be an understatement but his heart is very much with Montenegro, who he qualifies for through his dad, Bojan!

Born in Grimsby just a few weeks after Tony Blair romped to a landslide win in the 1997 General Election and when the Spice Girls were weirdly popular, it wasn't long until both he and his twin brother (along with their older brother, Danilo) were clocking up the air miles - moving first to Moscow, then London a few years later, before eventually settling in Brussels during the mid-2000s.

He was schooled and remained in Belgium for about a decade; being recruited to Anderlecht's academy alongside his brother as an eight-year-old, before joining Portuguese giants Benfica for whom he played at various age groups and later their 'B' team who compete in the Second Division.

Thereafter, he moved to England and joined Leeds United on the back of a loan spell at AD Fafe in 2016/17, plus a trial at Swansea City. He registered his best goals-to-games ratio of his career during his stay at Elland Road where he predominantly featured under Carlos Corberan (nowadays manager at Huddersfield Town) for the U23s. He had another loan in Spain, this time at Barakaldo CF, in 2018/19.

Since departing Leeds two-and-a-half years ago, he excelled at Burton Albion for a season and faced his old Anderlecht team-mate, Youri Tielemans, in an EFL Cup Fourth Round tie, before joining Blackpool during the height of the pandemic in a move which because of injuries and good competition for places, just hasn't worked out in the way which anyone hoped it would do.

He also had a brief and injury-hit loan stint at Mansfield Town last season.

In addition, if being signed twice by Nigel Clough (one of very few managers to oversee 1,000 games in England) isn't enough, Oli has already come up against Zinedine Zidane's son in his career, represented and bagged a few goals at youth level for Montenegro and can speak six different languages fluently.

So having seen the Atomium, the palm trees of Seixal, sometimes the sun in Staffordshire and, err.. the Blackpool Tower up close, there's a brilliant back-story to his (very long!) journey to reach wherever his next destination is!

Captaining Anderlecht back in the day (Photo: Unknown).

From Anderlecht to Benfica (with some dodgy footwear)

If you ask pretty much every footballer out there, most will be able to recall their academy days with great fondness - and Oli played with some top quality players during his own.

As previously mentioned, he was in the academy at Anderlecht (who've produced some phenomenal stars over the years) and the best of his age group was Youri Tielemans - nowadays a regular in the Premier League at Leicester City and a Belgian international.

When his team-mate stepped up to play in higher age groups, Oli skippered the Anderlecht youth side which is testament to his own personal attributes. He was part of their title-winning U17s squad in 2013/14 whilst on a personal level he was called up to represent the club's U21s on a handful of occasions towards the end of the campaign - notably scoring in a game against AC Milan!

He might have learned things from occasional trips over the border to Montbéliard (to watch Sochaux Under 19s) and Waregem (to watch Zulte-Waregem) during his early teenage years as well because that's where his older brother, Danilo, played for a few seasons.

Things couldn't have got off to a worse (or more expensive) start following a switch to Benfica in Summer 2014, because despite receiving a warm welcome from an all-time football great in Rui Costa - and quickly carving out a good reputation in the youth ranks where he scored enough times to regularly replicate the 'Christ The Redeemer' monument (which isn't too far from the Caixa Futebol Campus), he wrecked one of his boots in literally his first training session with his new team-mates! Research is everything!

A regular scorer at U19s level domestically and receiving plenty of international recognition from Montenegro around this period, he was part of Benfica's team which twice reached the UEFA Youth League Quarter-Finals - bagging goals against teams such as Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray and Dukla Pribram (including a penalty in the shoot-out), and ended up facing Real Madrid in an away game. He also participated in the now-defunct Premier League International Cup (scoring against Celtic) just a few months after being the first player to touch the ball in the first ever fixture at FC United of Manchester's Broadhurst Park.

Amidst the whirlwind of #59 memories which are probably flooding back to him as he reads this, he was in the same Benfica team as some quality players including Renato Sanches (later with Bayern Munich), Ruben Dias (now at Manchester City) and Helder Costa (currently on loan at Valencia).

Oli's highlights package from his days in Portugal can be watched here so you can see his pedigree, desire and undoubted potential with your own eyes!

Oli during his Benfica career (Photo: SL Benfica).

Leeds, via Wales, and beyond...

As with 99.9% of players during their careers, there reaches a point where it's time to move on and Oli gained more senior experience during a half-season loan at AD Fafe in 2016/17, which preceded a trial at then-Premier League Swansea City that summer.

He played two games during the Swans' pre-season tour of Northern Ireland before Leeds United quickly swooped to take him to Elland Road.

Having thankfully managed to avoid destroying another pair of boots in 'Session No.1' at his new club, he hit the ground running with a good run of goalscoring form for Carlos Corberan's U23s and figured alongside many now-established EFL players such as Tom Pearce (Wigan Athletic), Clarke Odour (Barnsley), Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Sheffield Wednesday), Jack Clarke (Sunderland) plus all those who are still at Elland Road now.

After a good campaign but one where first team opportunities were hard to come by, he spent the entire 2018/19 season in Spain at Barakaldo CF (in the Third Division), before Nigel Clough recognised his ability and took him to the Pirelli Stadium and Burton Albion on a permanent deal a year later.

It was just prior to this point where injuries, knocks and niggles started to effect his game-time, although when he was on the pitch, now donning turquoise coloured boots, he contributed goals across all competitions, assists and quality in his 37 outings for Burton which made him a notable danger and earned him a deserved move to Blackpool.

It's fair to say the switch to Bloomfield Road didn't work out as planned - even though he still ended it as a League One promotion winner with a handful of appearances to his name, in addition to spending time with Nigel Clough again on loan at Mansfield Town.

Celebrating after the 'top bins' strike at MK Dons (Photo: Unknown).

Now back fully fit, approaching the peak years of his career, and with a totally supportive family who are completely behind him, I've every confidence that Oli will flourish in the next chapter of his career, make Natalie and Bojan proud, and create some more memories to last a lifetime.

Good luck Oli! 

Go and absolutely smash the next challenge and earn yourself the wider recognition you deserve - and when Montenegro finally qualify for that first major tournament, the players involved will be remembered and held in the highest regard forever!