Sydney FC goalkeeper Ivan Necevski tells us why keepers make great strikers and talks about his future as an illusionist.
Much like Tarek Elrich last week, we hear your into cars, V8 Supercars in particular tell us about that.
I just started getting into the V8 Supercars in the last couple of years or so, a good mate of mine Michael Caruso races for Team Fujitsu and he-s also a big Sydney FC fan and he takes me to a few races now and then.
Has he taken you for a spin yet?
Yeah he took me around the Homebush street circuit two years ago and it was one of the most unbelievable experiences in a car that I will have, down that main straight at 250/260 kph was brilliant.
They get pretty close to the walls as well, how was that?
Yeah they do and they don-t brake until they get about 20 metres from the corners either and then power out of the corner, it-s a good experience. I don-t know how they do it day-in-day-out but it-s pretty scary.
How would you go driving one?
I think I-d do alright, I might stall it a few times until I got used to the clutch, but I wouldn-t mind having a go, but those cars are worth a bit of money… maybe they would let me take my (Mazda) RX8 out on the track.
Any other boys in the team into their cars?
Yeah a few of the boys are, Emo has an Audi R8; I can-t really compete with something like that, but he took me for a spin in his a couple of months back and it-s like a supercar out on the road, a few of the boys are going out to Homebush at the end of the year to have a look.
Gardening is another one of your hobbies, we hear your as good as the Allianz Stadium greenkeepers, can you confirm or deny?
Ah yeah, we just moved into a new house six months ago and the landscaping starts in the next few weeks, I wanted to get my lawn established first, I like having a well-presented yard and our lawn is almost competing with the training pitch at Macquarie it-s that good.
Renowned for the keeping, the cars, the lawn, we hear you could also give Kriss Angel a run for his money as an illusionist.
I have let it die off a little bit to be honest, the kids keep me pretty busy but I wouldn-t mind getting back into it and impressing the boys at training or on a night out.
What-s your best trick?
Best trick would be a disappearing coin out of someone-s hand or a disappearing hankie or tissue or something like that, taking it into my fist and making it disappear. I can-t tell you how it-s done though. Magician-s code!
Have you ever read something ridiculous about yourself in the media?
Not really, no, you boys need to step it up a bit.
If you weren-t a footballer, what would you be doing?
Something to do with motorsport, after my football career I wouldn-t mind to start my own car customisation business, if I don-t become a goalkeeper coach.
Which teammate has the best training park tricks?
Alessandro is the most technical, but a few of the young boys have their little bits and pieces before or after training. Dimi Petratos and even Terry McFlynn can pull a few tricks out of the bag.
Is it true goalkeepers make the best strikers?
We rate ourselves for sure and wouldn-t mind stepping up for a free kick every now and then, we all think we can finish, especially at training.
Any pre-match rituals?
Na not really, just have the same routine to make sure I-m focussed on the ganme and put in the best performance I can.
Finish these sentences for us please Ivan
My teammates would say I am… Loyal, focussed and outgoing.
Alessandro Del Piero is… an absolute top bloke and a gentleman.
Sydney FC will… bounce back after a very disappointing game last week and will go on with the job over the next couple of months and make the semis.
