Maribor’s 16-year-old Žan Meško is living his dream: in the squad for the match against Koper on Sunday, on his way to Gibraltar on Monday

Published on 17. September 2024 17. September 2024

Photo: NK Maribor

Žan Meško is living his dream. The barely 16-year-old footballer was for the first time included in the senior squad of Maribor on Sunday, which beat Koper at Ljudski vrt. The very next morning, he had to put on the Maribor youth team gear and – off to the plane! The footballer, who could still be a cadet but is already playing for the youth team and training with the seniors, traveled with Radovan Karanović‘s squad to Gibraltar, where Maribor will play its first match of the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday afternoon.

Maribor will face the Gibraltar club Lincoln Red Imps, marking the opening 90 minutes on the road to the second round of the elite European competition for youth. Žan Meško hopes to help his team where he feels best: on the pitch. Interestingly, the young man’s father was rooting for his son to choose basketball just a few years ago.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has been and remains my football idol; he is the reason I play football. My dad (Marko Meško, who actively played basketball, ed.) had a different wish. He tried to direct me towards basketball, but he did not succeed, as football has been my favorite sport since childhood. However, I inherited sports genes from my father, which is very helpful. Overall, my family is a great support; they follow me wherever possible, and I am very grateful to my mom, dad, and brother. He did decide to follow in my dad’s footsteps for a while, but he did not stick with basketball for long,” said the talented Žan Meško on the club’s website before the opening match on the “Gibraltarian rock,” who does not doubt that he and his teammates will be up to the upcoming challenge.

Žan Meško: “A lot has happened in a very short time”

“We did not come to Gibraltar for a sightseeing trip. We are preparing for the match to show what we can do. We hope our European journey will last as long as possible, but we are aware that we must focus only on the first challenge ahead. Therefore, complete concentration is required only on the match against the Gibraltar team, which we respect, but we believe in our abilities and wish to secure a good starting position for the return leg,” continued Žan Meško, who has already signed a professional contract with Maribor until 2026.

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Žan Meško further admitted that he is experiencing truly wonderful moments in his career. “Everything has happened so quickly and unexpectedly; a lot has occurred in a very short time. I was very happy when I received the invitation to join the senior team training. I tried my best, listened to the coaches’ advice, older, more experienced teammates, and tried to be at their level during training. It was a truly special experience, and I am eagerly waiting for the moment when I might get the chance to play my first senior match,” said the Slovenian cadet national team player, who interestingly was not always proven as a full-back.

“In younger club selections, I was often a forward, sometimes also in the role of an attacking midfielder. Speed has always been my advantage, while I am refining other aspects and know that my career will involve a lot of hard work and sacrifices. At the same time, I do not neglect my school obligations, so I am aware that I must approach my studies at the economic secondary school with the same dedication as on the pitch,” added Žan Meško, who took his first football steps in Dobrovce, and moved to Ljudski vrt as a member of the U9 selection from Dravsko Dvor.