Roared of the Mings ‘HE’S THREE-LIONS CLASS’
PEP CLOTET is still pinching himself that Croatian midfielder Ivan Sunjic is on the books at Birmingham.
And Brum’s boss says it’s already clear that in Sunjic (above) he’s got a rare gem on his hands.
The Spanish coach is delighted that the club broke its transfer record to secure the £7million signature of the former Croatian Under-21 skipper from Dinamo Zagreb. And well he might be. Sunjic, 22, has slotted in flawlessly. “Ivan has fantastic ability,” said Clotet. “He comes from a club used to playing at a very high level, from a club in Zagreb that has a great school.
“It’s not easy to get this kind of player out of there, so I was so happy when he chose to come to us.
“He’s a player who understood this league and performed straightaway – that’s not easy when you are young.
“And what I also like is that he puts the team before himself – and that’s a massive quality. He has a bright future in front of him and I think he will add value – absolutely.
“He will establish himself in that position. He’s unselfish. That’s difficult to find in players, although it’s something a lot of our players have.
“Apart from that, he has all the technical elements. His positioning is always right, his body position, he works on protecting the ball. He knows when to play one-touch, two-touch... I think we will see an even better player emerge as the season progresses.”
Clotet left the finer details of the move to the club, but he played a full part in identifying Sunjic as a target.
He said: “He was flagged as an option for us – fortunately, I’ve known that club for many years.
“When I was at Espanyol, we went to play a tournament in Zagreb with the Under-17s. I met up with them a few days afterwards, analysing how they work in the academy. I was impressed.”
Sunjic’s best characteristic is how he has integrated himself, according to striker Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Jutkiewicz said: “I keep forgetting that Ivan is a new signing – his arrival in the midfield has been that seamless.” ■ Aston Villa ended a run of 15 Premier League games without a win (W0 D1 L14), with this their first top-flight win since winning 2-0 against Norwich City in February 2016. DEAN SMITH believes that Tyrone Mings should be on Gareth Southgate’s England radar now.
The Three Lions boss was at Villa Park on Friday night and although his eyes may have been fixed on home skipper Jack Grealish, Aston Villa chief Smith thinks others may have grabbed his attention.
Smith admitted to taking a deep breath over the £20million transfer to secure defender Ming’s signature.
But with left-sided stopper Harry Maguire moving to Manchester United for four-times that, Smith increasingly feels Mings’ fee was “a snip”.
Smith said: “I don’t envy Gareth ( left) his choice – there are a lot of talented players in this country.
“He had a few to watch on Friday – keepers Jordan Pickford and Tom Heaton for a start – but I’ve said before I don’t think we are blessed with many English leftsided, left-footed centre-backs. “I have two, in Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause.
“But Tyrone’s got the shirt – and his first three games in the Premier League with us have been very good.”
Smith ( l eft) added: “Tyrone was a Premier League player anyway for three years but unfortunately his Bournemouth time was blighted with injuries.
“When I brought him in last season he performed outstandingly well. Bournemouth drove a hard bargain during the summer because they knew we wanted the player as he had done so well for us.
“I’ll be honest, I scoffed at the price – I took a deep breath. It was a tough one for me to take. But he was a player I believe we needed. So we ended up spending £20m and I’ve got no regrets.
“We did our business early and when you look at what took place later on in the window, he looks a snip.
“He has become a cult hero here. The fans have taken to his wholehearted performances but it certainly helps he can work day to day on the training ground with John Terry as well.”
Southgate said last season that he would not be considering a call-up for Grealish until the playmaker was featuring in the Premier League.
Villa’s play-off triumph turned that into a reality. And Smith thinks Grealish’s time may have come.
He said: “Jack’s a really bright player. What’s different is that now he is a genuine Premier League player.
“You see in the way he competes and covers ground now. He has got a great physique plus the talent and cleverness to play international football.”
Villa’s victory over Everton ended Grealish’s 20-match wait for a win in the top flight. It was also a triumph for Jota, brought in from rivals Birmingham, who made the first goal.