‘Future stars of Serbia’ — Jovan Mijatović (Crvena zvezda)
The popular ‘Beckham’, as he’s called, was without doubt the stand-out youngster of the opening half of the season in Serbia. From a fringe player in Zvezda’s first team last year, to undisputed this season, at least among fans. Mijatović even looked the part in the Champions League group stage and has earned interest from teams like Juventus, Feyenoord en Zenit.
That’s no surprise when you look at the bare stats. 9 goals and 2 assists in 19 appearances, but even more impressive when broken down into goal contributions per 90 minutes — namely 1.3.
You’d think a player so impactful would be a starter, however, that was not the case. Mijatović has come on as a substitute in 14 out of 19 appearances under the guidance of Barak Bakhar — who has since been dismissed by the Belgrade club.
In his every day struggle, he finds a lot of solace within his family. ‘They are my biggest critics, they help me tremendously from a psychological standpoint, as they have been through a lot and know exactly what is needed for progress. If it weren’t for them, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today.’
It’s fair to say Mijatović hails from a sporting family. His grandfather was a talented footballer who had to cut his career short because of a knee-injury. His mother played handball for Crvena zvezda of all teams, and his father was a volleyball player.
Mijatović is popularly known as ‘Beckham’ among teammates and fans of the red and whites. The nickname was given to him by youth coach Branko Rnić: ‘when I showed up to the first practice, I had a haircut similar to Beckham’s. And when the coach saw how I handled the ball, he claimed, ‘this is the next Beckham’. After that, it became my nickname.’
When it comes to play style & physical build, however, the robust forward reminds of another English legend, namely Wayne Rooney. When asked whether he’s familiar with his game, Mijatović confirms: ‘I’ve definitely watched him play and see a lot of similarities in our games.’ However, his example is a different former Man United star: ‘Cristiano Ronaldo. I love hard-working and dedicated players.’
The Belgrade-born player has been part of Crvena zvezda since the age of 9 and doesn’t hide his strong feelings for the club: ‘I’ve been the fan of the club since I was born, literally since I can remember. Zvezda is in my blood. I grew up at the Marakana.’
The youngster hasn’t scored just any goals, but decisive ones for the club, that kept the team firm in the title race. ‘A phenomenal feeling. The feeling of truly being able to help your club. It’s my home away from home, and I’ll do everything I can to help win the club all possible titles.’
Although Mijatović has switched effortlessly between Zvezda’s U19s, B-team Grafičar and the A-team, he has noticed a difference in level: ‘You definitely can’t compare youth football to the Superliga. Most of all when it comes to duels and tempo. You also have to think a lot faster.’
Anyone who’s watched the youngster play will have noticed he’s a natural goalscorer. The great part is he can it many ways, with headers or either foot. ‘There’s no real difference between my left and my right. It’s all the same to me with which foot I shoot. But if I had to pick, I’d say my left is a bit stronger.’
Another quality Mijatović brings to the table is his versatility. ‘The number 9 role is my favourite position, but I love to play behind the striker as well, because I’m able to use my creativity there. I can also play on the wing, however I do prefer the middle.’
His reputation in Serbia is quickly rising, and all of a sudden a senior national team call-up doesn’t seem far-fetched. However, for now, Mijatović is still part of Serbia’s U19s. A stacked generation that got to the semi’s of the European Championship at U17 level in 2022.
‘Fate simply brought together a lot of talented players in one place. But there’s also good chemistry between us. The coach, Radovan Krivokapić, has a positive influence on us, and we’re like a family.’
When asked about his future, Mijatović isn’t afraid to dream big. ‘I haven’t thought about in which league I want to play one day, but I do hope to become Aleksandar Mitrović’s successor and continue where he left off. I want to help Serbia win a World Cup and if possible win the Golden Ball some day.’
