The third weeks of mid-season preparation came to an end. Six young, talented youth academy players Michele Sego, Domagoj Bradaric, Tonio Teklic, Franko Kovacevic, Darko Nejasmic and Ivan Delic joined the first team on their training for the continuation of the season. All of them played for Hajduk II in the first part of the season, some of them already made their debut for the first team. Joining first team's preparation is an award for hard work in the previous period, and certainly a stimulus for future development. Each of them played in all three friendly matches in Belek.
"I'm well aware of how all the processes go and about the long and sensitive way to developing a young and good player. I know how important it is to them to be here with the first team. I told them I would not take them for granted, but will give them a chance through training and matches. They return for it in the best possible way and as far as their work is concerned, I have a great reason for pleasure" said coach Zeljko Kopic.
"We've been putting maximum effort since the beginning of the preparations and only that way we can make progress. We are giving our best from the first day. Everyone accepted us well, it is my great pleasure to train with more experienced players and listen to their advice" said Bradaric, who has joined the mid-season preparation with the first team for the first time and enjoys every moment of work and training.
"We fit in very well with the team. We are preparing in the best possible way. We are going step by step, we need to be persistent in the training and success will come from it. I'm glad coach Kopic gave all the young players a chance at the games, which is certainly an extra motivation for further work" Nejsmic did not hide his enthusiasm for having been given the opportunity to train with the first team.
"I think I fit well in the training and the games. I'm happy to be here. I work hard, but this is a step forward in my career and I'm very motivated. These are my first preparations with the first team and I am very honored to have the opportunity to train with such players. The coach wants that we keep up with tactical and fitness training" said the youngest player Sego, who is only 17 years old.
"These are my first preparations with the first team. The impressions are positive from the first day, there are plenty of young players here. The conditions are ideal, the team is united, what is required from us is maximum work and progress in every sense, which is very important for future success. We are communicating well with the coach and he always clearly explains what he wants from us" Delic expressed satisfaction, after he already collected two caps in the first half of the season.
"Preparations with the first team will help a lot to us young players in further development. The most important thing is to give our best, we have older teammates with whom we have fantastic relations and we can learn a lot from them because of the quality they have" said Kovacevic, who joined the preparations with the first team for the second time, after he was preparing for the season with them in June in Slovenia.
"Although I already have the experience of preparing with the first team, the feeling is really great. Training sessions are demanding in this period, but only in that way we can make progress. We work and give our best from day one, we know that we can only succeed like that" said 18-year-old Tonio Teklic, who is also on his second preparations with Hajduk, pleased with the conditions in Belek and the atmosphere in the team.
