Vladimir Stojkovic wasn’t exactly a fans favourite at Nottingham Forest but he’s the toast of Serbia right now after their World Cup qualifying win.
It’s fair to say few Nottingham Forest supporters were disappointed when Vladimir Stojkovic was allowed to leave at the end of the season.
Forest’s recruitment let them down badly last season and while Stojkovic was a regular in the side, unlike the majority of his fellow 2016 arrivals, he didn’t exactly cover himself in glory. Starting 20 Championship games, the former Maccabi Haifa ‘shot-stopper’s’ penchant for a heart-stopping fumble did little to endear him to the City Ground supporters.
And it was no surprise that, as soon as Mark Warburton arrived in the East Midlands, he put his faith in rookie goalkeeper Jordan Smith and made clear that Stojkovic had no place in his first-team plans.
As such, the former Wigan Athletic goalkeeper returned home with Partizan Belgrade this summer – but he can still be spotted between the sticks for the Serbian national team. Though his form at international level is rather more impressive than it was in the Championship last season.
The 34-year-old kept a clean sheet in his 74th cap as Serbia delivered a huge blow to the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying hopes with a 1-0 win at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night, courtesy of a blockbuster strike from Aleksandar Kolarov.
Stojkovic endured a few bumpy moments but still managed to keep Ireland’s forwards off the scoresheet with a solid display. One excellent tip over from a Shane Long screamer was particularly impressive.
However, that does not mean the former Forest flop’s performance was met with universal acclaim…
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