Adelaide United are known for their production line and Luka Jovanovic is among the players to break through at Coopers Stadium. The teenager speaks about the faith in youth in Adelaide, the Young Socceroos and interest from Serbia.
Whenever you look at Adelaide United’s starting XI or squad, the fingerprints of a youth program established 14 years ago are clear to see.
That program has resulted in a remarkable production line of talent, headlined by Nestory Irankunda, Luka Jovanovic Jonny Yull, Bernardo Oliveira, Alex Popovic, Panashe Madanha, Ethan Alagich, Musa Toure and Giuseppe Bovalina. Mohamed Toure, Plus, Al-Hassan Toure and Yaya Dukuly before them.
Jovanovic and Carl Veart’s Adelaide are reaping the rewards of that famed production line and faith in youth at Coopers Stadium.
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“It’s great,” the 18-year-old told aleagues.com.au ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Brisbane Roar. “Us young players we want to be playing regular first-team football.
“For us to have a coach like Carl who trusts us young players, gives us a lot of confidence when we’re playing.”
Jovanovic broke into the first team last season and the teenage forward scored three goals in nine matches that totalled 377 minutes of football.
For the past two matches, the Adelaide product has led the line ahead of Japanese veteran Hiroshi Ibusuki, scoring against Western United in Round 5.
He is benefiting from Veart’s nurturing role in South Australia.
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“If he spots something he thinks he should talk to you about, he definitely does,” Jovanovic said of his head coach. “He does check up on how you’re feeling and how your body is pulling up. Us as young players playing at a high level, it does take a toll on your body.”
Across Jovanovic’s four A-Leagues goals, you would have noticed his celebration.
It’s inspired by a footballer he looked up to growing up – Serbia’s all-time leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic.
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“He has that goalscoring trait that I think I have too,” Jovanovic said. “That’s what I base my celebration off. I did it after one NPL game last year and I just kept doing it.”
He added: “I like Mitrovic but I don’t think I have that play style he has. He is more of a stick it up and score with his head, and bring it down and finish quickly. I think I play a bit differently but I just like the way he plays and celebrates.”
The fact Jovanovic watches Mitrovic closely comes from his upbringing in a Serbian household.
His father played youth team football for powerhouse club Partizan before moving to Australia on a sports visa prior to the launch of the A-Leagues.
That means Jovanovic is also eligible to represent Serbia. Playing for the country of his father’s birth has been at the back of his mind, while Football Association of Serbia (FSS) is believed to be monitoring him.
“As a young kid being Serbian, your dream is to play for your country,” said Jovanovic, who watches Serbia’s Superliga with his father. “My dream is also to play for Australia. I’m kind of in two worlds now.
“I have been in the Australian squad and I really enjoy it. We have a really good group so I can’t really see myself transferring to Serbia just yet.”
Jovanovic is firmly entrenched in Australia’s national youth team setup.
He was in the team that travelled to Spain for the Marbella Week of Football Tournament and went through unbeaten in October.
After conquering European giants France and the Netherlands on penalties at the Under-19 tournament, Australia overcame Denmark 7-6 via spot-kicks.
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“We have a very exciting team,” said Jovanovic, who met legendary Frenchman Zinedine Zidane at the event. “We’re really well balanced and have a good coach and staff around us.
“From our first trip, we all bonded as a team straight away. We all just know how we want to play and understand how our coach wants to play.”
“We play our football. Playing against these big nations, we didn’t really overthink it much.”
It is an exciting time for national teams in Australia – from the Joeys and Young Socceroos, to the Olyroos and Socceroos, with Isuzu UTE A-League players in the thick of it.
“The new idea that’s gone through A-Leagues teams to give young players a chance is really working at the moment,” he said.
“There’s a lot of talent that is just sitting around at NPL level that are now playing in the A-League and showing they’re good enough. That’s what makes our national teams have these young players who are really, really up to it.”
Looking ahead, Jovanovic dreams of playing in the biggest teams in Europe like every young player.
“I’ve been with Nestor for three to four years now,” he said. “Seeing what he has done, it gives all of us young boys that motivation that we can do that as well.”
