Ivan Krstanovic had a long football career and played for plenty of clubs, but he had hoped that Sheffield Wednesday would be one of them.
They weren’t, unfortunately, because at some point between 2011 and 2013 when the forward was scoring goals for Dinamo Zagreb he was denied a work permit to make the move to England. Now, with more lenient rules and ESC (Elite Significant Contribution) players Krstanovic wouldn’t have had a problem – but at 41, having just announced his retirement, that’s no good to him now.
With over 200 goals and assists to his name over the course of his career, the attacker says that he’s disappointed not to have had a stint overseas to test himself elsewhere, explaining that he was offered a long-term deal with the Owls that ultimately fell through.
In an interview with 24 Sata, Krstanović explained: “Well, when I was 25 years old in Zagreb, I didn’t know the basics of football. Coach Luka Pavlović taught me a lot in those days. I was on the broader list of the Croatian national team, later played for Bosnia and Herzegovina…
“It’s a shame that I didn’t try my hand abroad. When I was at Dinamo, Sheffield Wednesday called me and offered me a contract for three years, but I didn’t get a work permit.”
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The former Dinamo man played in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League during a lengthy career that spanned over two decades, and is now on the hunt for the next step in his career after completing a coaching licence in Croatia – the country where he spent many years of his playing days.
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