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Biped “Zidane” with incredible work ethic: how Ivan Perisic exploded in Belgium | 2022 football world cup

Ivan Perisic (33) writes his third World Cup chapter in Qatar. One of the first pages in the Croatian biography was written on Belgian fields. What kind of player was young Perisic? And above all: who is the man behind the player? Dennis van Wijk (ex-trainer), Sherjill Mac-Donald and Stijn Stijnen (ex-teammates) share his story.

Ivan Perisic started his football story at the French club Sochaux. The Croat lent it to a Roeselare in 2009.

A transfer that Dennis van Wijk – then trainer at Roeselare – remembers well: “Someone had offered him to us, after which I went to inquire with my contacts. Everyone said the same thing: top talent.”

After breakfast with the Croat, Van Wijk was completely convinced. “Ivan immediately joined the training camp. In the first friendly match he was so good that we replaced him as a precaution.”

“Perisic then got a bit angry, but we just wanted to save him for the first team,” says the Dutchman with a laugh.

And Van Wijk was right, because Perisic was immediately of gold value for his team: “In our cup match against Club Brugge after the winter break, we won 0-1. Who scored the only goal?”. You guessed it: Ivan Perisic.

Perisic was actually much too good for Roeselare.

Dennis van Wijk

Ivan Perisic played 13 years ago for the West Flemish club, but some qualities have still stayed with the coach after all these years.

“After every training, he practiced free kicks with his left foot every time. Perfecting his left leg for half an hour, every time. His work ethic was incredible, especially for such a young guy.”

“But how quickly he picked things up, that was impressive. I had a certain running line in mind for Ivan, and after 1 or 2 training sessions he already had it. He wanted to master everything down to the last detail, even then .”

“Ivan was actually just too good for us,” concludes Van Wijk. “He could head well, had a high speed of action, was always tactically thinking along, bipedal… After six months he had already outgrown Roeselare.”

Mac-Donald: “He was a real team player”

Sherjill Mac-Donald played as a striker together with Perisic at Roeselare and has only good memories of the Croat: “Ivan was a very pleasant, down to earth person. Everyone liked him in the dressing room.”

“Ivan gave everyone everything on the field. For example, he was on the penalty sheet, but one time he said: “Hey, Mac, you take him”. You really don’t get that often with other strikers, they normally want him take yourself.”

I called him Zidane, he called me the fat Ronaldo.

Sherjill Mac-Donald

The Dutch attacker has mainly remembered the character of Ivan Perisic.

“It was important to Ivan that everyone felt good in the team, so he was a real team player. He never got angry with his teammates, he was not that kind of person at all.”

Mac-Donald ends with a nice anecdote: “I called him Zidane because he was so calm when he was under pressure. He called me the fat Ronaldo. That was always funny.”

Stijnen: “His career doesn’t surprise me”

After staying at Roeselare for half a year, Perisic moved to Club Brugge on Van Wijk’s recommendation. He also scored on his debut there.

In 2009 he was even chosen as footballer of the year by our readers. In the 2010/2011 season, the Croatian became the top scorer at the age of 22 with 22 goals and won the “Professional Footballer of the Year” award.

Stijn Stijnen was captain of blue-black at that time. “Ivan did not speak the big word in the dressing room, but was always there when people laughed,” he begins his story about Perisic.

He stood out in all areas: physically, mentally and technical.

Stan Stan

“He didn’t pull things off, you know. He was even a bit timid. But he had a lot of ambition and confidence in himself. He therefore stood out in all areas: physically, mentally and technically.”

“The impression he left in training has always stayed with me. He could do everything with both feet, had a very high speed of execution and a lot of precision.”

“He also showed that in packed stadiums at important moments. It doesn’t surprise me that he has developed such a career,” concludes Stijnen.

Will the Croatian write a new chapter in his rich career tomorrow with a stunt win against Brazil?

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