Young striker Luka Jovanović likes to model his game on international stars Luis Suarez and Aleksandar Mitrović, but it is a couple of other legendary strikers who are helping the teenager as he makes his way in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Jovanović made his first start of the season for Adelaide United in Sunday’s win over Western United in Ballarat, and also bagged his first goal of the 2023/24 campaign.
The 18-year-old, who recently completed his year 12 studies at Henley High School, had an interrupted start to the season having been overseas in camp with the Subway Young Socceroos when the A-League season commenced.
But now under the mentorship of Australia’s leading national league scorer Damian Mori and Reds head coach Carl Veart – himself a renowned striker in his playing days – Jovanović is hoping his performance against Western will be a springboard into the season.
Luka Jovanović on scoring his first goal of the season in his first start of the season:
“I felt good. We had a long pre-season and obviously I went away with the Australian team just before the season started so to get a goal in my first start was good. It was difficult obviously going away just as the season was starting and I was a bit sick as well when I was away so when I got back, I wasn’t fully ready, that’s what took me a while to get back into the team.”
Luka Jovanović on his goal:
“It’s just repetitions in the finishing. However, it came with I just had to strike it. That’s my trademark celebration. I do after every time I score.”
Luka Jovanović on being a striker and getting to work with former greats Carl Veart and Damian Mori at training:
“Obviously it helps a lot having a coach like Carl who strikes like a lot of confidence in us young players so when we are playing, we all play very well. Him and Damian (Mori) do help a lot. A couple of times a week we do striker finishing drills with Damian and then Carl will jump in here and there just to teach us how to finish.”
Luka Jovanović on what coach Carl Veart told him before the game:
“He wanted me to just run to he honest, to press a lot, be aggressive and just run my legs and try to get a goal if I could.”
Luka Jovanović on the win against Western United in Ballarat:
“It was a good time to bounce back and Western aren’t always easy to play against so to get the three points all the way in Ballarat was very good. (The trip) does get draining a bit. But at the end of the day, it’s just we’ve got to do. We’ve now got the extra day to get ready and to recover our bodies so that would help a lot.”
Luka Jovanović on what the side has discussed this week about Macarthur FC:
“We haven’t really planned on what we’re going to do yet against them. We usually do that leading in closer to the games. Later on in the week we’ll have a look at that.”
Luka Jovanović on who he likes to model his game on:
“I like Luis Suarez, players like Aleksandar Mitrović, obviously (he’s) from where I’m from, and Karim Benzema, those type of players who I think I’ll play like a bit.”
