Petrovic: “I think that this can help me and that I will go to the World Cup eventually, but it’s all upon the decision of the selector of the team.”
Djordje Petrovic was introduced to the media on Tuesday. My early impression is that he’s a young, humble goalkeeper with ambitious goals.
The 22-year-old Serbian began training with the New England Revolution after arriving late last week. With a few sessions under his belt, Petrovic spoke to the media through a translator, taking time to show gratitude to reporters and his new club.
“I would like to wish welcome to the reporters and good afternoon,” Petrovic said. “I’m really grateful to be here and very well welcomed here. We just came from a trip to Washington and I’m very pleased with the organization, my teammates, with everything.”
Petrovic was called a “real goalkeeper” who “isn’t afraid of anything” by his former coach Ilija Stolica. Stolica said that “he is there to protect his goal and he is really excellent in that part of the game.”
But Petrovic opted to stay quiet when asked about his strengths. He further established his level-headed demeanor by saying, “When it comes to my strengths, I don’t think it would be fair for my side to talk about my strengths. I would probably not be objective.”
Petrovic then explained that he will wear the number 99 because he was born in 1999. It was a reminder that the man pegged to replace Matt Turner when he leaves for Arsenal in July is still young.
But Petrovic has plenty of ambition. On Jan. 25, 2021, Petrovic collected his only cap for the Serbia National Team when he played against the Dominican Republic. Petrovic earned a shutout in the game, which finished 0-0.
Petrovic hopes to return to the national team and believes that the move to Major League Soccer will be beneficial.
“I think that this can help me and that I will go to the World Cup eventually, but it’s all upon the decision of the selector of the team,” Petrovic said.
For now, Petrovic is focused on adjusting to a new country and league. As you can imagine, he’s taken an even-keeled approach to the process.
“I think I’ll be ready to play once I adjust and adapt a little bit more, because as you know, my English is not perfect,” Petrovic explained.