Shrewsbury Town loanee Matija Sarkic: I learned a lot from Pepe Reina
Matija Sarkic insists his time working with Pepe Reina is helping him adapt to the new style at Shrewsbury Town.
The goalkeeper, who was with Aston Villa before joining Wolves permanently and then going straight out on loan to Town, has only recently come back from injury after two months out with a muscle issue.
He returned in time for new manager Steve Cotterill taking over and has been his first-choice shot-stopper since.
Sarkic is being encouraged to play out from the back under a new style at Salop and the 23-year-old says his time with Reina at Villa last season has stood him in good stead.
“It’s not something that’s new to me but it’s definitely something that I’m looking to improve on,” Sarkic said.
“When I was at Villa it was something they were implementing as well and I worked with the likes of Pepe Reina and the other goalkeepers there.
“It was great, what a pedigree for a goalkeeper.
“He’s played for some big clubs so there’s always something you can take on board and I definitely did.
“You learn a lot – there’s a lot of things you pick up on. With the manager here I can go into more detail and it will help me improve again.
“The most important thing is knowing what you’re doing on the pitch and with the manager coming in and his new style that he’s trying to implement. He’s been really focusing on the players and the style.”
Cotterill had a goalkeeping dilemma when he joined the club, with loanee Dejan Iliev and Harry Burgoyne also at the club. But with Sarkic’s return from injury perfectly timed, he has had the backing of his new manager.
“At the end of the day my job is to help the team and impact it as best as I can and the manager has decided to go with me. I’m grateful for that.”
