John Lukic
Encyclopedia
Jovan "John" Lukic (born 11 December 1960) is an English
former football goalkeeper who was a member of Football League championship sides with two different clubs and played at the highest level of English football in four separate decades.
to Yugoslavia
n parents; an urban legend
states that Lukic's mother survived the Munich air disaster
while pregnant with him; this is patently false as the crash happened in February 1958, nearly three years before Lukic's birth. There was a Mrs Lukić on board the plane, who did survive (along with her young daughter) after being saved by Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg
.
as a schoolboy. He made his debut for the Elland Road
side in 1979 and went on to play 165 games for them. After making a transfer request, Lukic moved to Arsenal
in July 1983 for £
75,000, as a long-term replacement for Pat Jennings
. By the middle of the 1984–85
season he was the club's No. 1, and won the League Cup
in 1987 and the Division One title in 1989. He was ever present in Arsenal's first team throughout seasons 1987–88
, 1988–89
and 1989–90
. Lukic played in the final game of the 1989 season
, where Arsenal won the title in the last minute of the game against Liverpool, with Lukic starting the move which lead to Michael Thomas' famous goal.
In the summer of 1990 Arsenal manager George Graham
signed David Seaman
from Queens Park Rangers
– Seaman had ironically been Lukic's understudy at Leeds. This outraged many Arsenal fans at the time, especially as Lukic was a fan favorite. On his departure, Graham commented "I still think John Lukic is one of the best keepers in the country; I just think David Seaman is the best". Having played 277 times for the Gunners, Lukic rejoined Leeds for £1million, playing a further 265 times and winning a second League title in 1991–92
and a runners up medal in the League Cup
in 1995–96
.
Lukic was displaced at Leeds by the signing of Nigel Martyn
, and in 1996 he returned for a second spell at Arsenal. As deputy to David Seaman, he played 15 times in 1996–97
as cover, but after the signing of Alex Manninger
in 1997 he stepped down to No. 3. However, with Manninger injured, Lukic was on the bench for Arsenal's 2000 UEFA Cup Final
loss to Galatasaray
, earning him a runners-up medal.
In 2000, after a series of injuries to the club's other 'keepers, he made a brief return to the first team, playing four times. The last of these four games, against Derby County, was a month shy of his 40th birthday; another one of these, a match against Lazio
on 17 October 2000 made him, at the time, the oldest player ever to take part in a UEFA Champions League
match. This has since been surpassed by Danny Verlinden, Alessandro Costacurta
and Marco Ballotta
. He retired in 2001 and now coaches part-time. He has won the league with two separate clubs, a feat he shares with fellow professionals such as Nicholas Anelka, Eric Cantona, Ashley Cole and Kevin Richardson. He is one of possibly four players to have played in the top flight of English football in four separate decades, the other players to attain this achievement are Peter Shilton
, Steve Ogrizovic
and Sir Stanley Matthews.
Though Lukic played for England
at youth and U21 level, he never won a full cap for the side.
, before signing for Grimsby Town
in June 2005. John Lukic Jr. has no club now after leaving The Mariners at the end of the 2005–06
season.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former football goalkeeper who was a member of Football League championship sides with two different clubs and played at the highest level of English football in four separate decades.
Childhood and early life
Lukic was born in ChesterfieldChesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n parents; an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
states that Lukic's mother survived the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
while pregnant with him; this is patently false as the crash happened in February 1958, nearly three years before Lukic's birth. There was a Mrs Lukić on board the plane, who did survive (along with her young daughter) after being saved by Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg
Harry Gregg
Henry "Harry" Gregg, MBE is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and manager.He played 25 times for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper and played for Manchester United during the reign of Sir Matt Busby with a total of 210 appearances.-Playing career:Gregg started his career with...
.
Career
Lukic signed for Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
as a schoolboy. He made his debut for the Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
side in 1979 and went on to play 165 games for them. After making a transfer request, Lukic moved to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in July 1983 for £
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
75,000, as a long-term replacement for Pat Jennings
Pat Jennings
Patrick Anthony "Pat" Jennings OBE is a Northern Ireland former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years...
. By the middle of the 1984–85
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
season he was the club's No. 1, and won the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1987 and the Division One title in 1989. He was ever present in Arsenal's first team throughout seasons 1987–88
1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
, 1988–89
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
and 1989–90
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
. Lukic played in the final game of the 1989 season
Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
, where Arsenal won the title in the last minute of the game against Liverpool, with Lukic starting the move which lead to Michael Thomas' famous goal.
In the summer of 1990 Arsenal manager George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
signed David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
from Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
– Seaman had ironically been Lukic's understudy at Leeds. This outraged many Arsenal fans at the time, especially as Lukic was a fan favorite. On his departure, Graham commented "I still think John Lukic is one of the best keepers in the country; I just think David Seaman is the best". Having played 277 times for the Gunners, Lukic rejoined Leeds for £1million, playing a further 265 times and winning a second League title in 1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
and a runners up medal in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1995–96
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
.
Lukic was displaced at Leeds by the signing of Nigel Martyn
Nigel Martyn
Antony Nigel Martyn , more commonly known as Nigel Martyn, is a retired English football goalkeeper. He played for Crystal Palace where he became the first £1million goalkeeper in British football and also won the Full Members Cup. Martyn then left to spend six seasons at Leeds United. He went on...
, and in 1996 he returned for a second spell at Arsenal. As deputy to David Seaman, he played 15 times in 1996–97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
as cover, but after the signing of Alex Manninger
Alex Manninger
Alexander "Alex" Manninger is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Juventus F.C. in the Italian Serie A. He has played for a variety of high-profile clubs, almost always as a substitute....
in 1997 he stepped down to No. 3. However, with Manninger injured, Lukic was on the bench for Arsenal's 2000 UEFA Cup Final
2000 UEFA Cup Final
The 2000 UEFA Cup Final was a football match contested between Galatasaray of Turkey and Arsenal of England on 17 May 2000 at Parken in Copenhagen...
loss to Galatasaray
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
, earning him a runners-up medal.
In 2000, after a series of injuries to the club's other 'keepers, he made a brief return to the first team, playing four times. The last of these four games, against Derby County, was a month shy of his 40th birthday; another one of these, a match against Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
on 17 October 2000 made him, at the time, the oldest player ever to take part in a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match. This has since been surpassed by Danny Verlinden, Alessandro Costacurta
Alessandro Costacurta
Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta is an Italian former professional football defender turned manager.Costacurta spent some twenty years at Milan, with a brief period spent in AC Monza on loan. He is best known for his role alongside Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti, forming one of the...
and Marco Ballotta
Marco Ballotta
Marco Ballotta is a retired Italian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.His senior club career spanned a quarter of a century, but Ballotta was never capped for the Italian national team...
. He retired in 2001 and now coaches part-time. He has won the league with two separate clubs, a feat he shares with fellow professionals such as Nicholas Anelka, Eric Cantona, Ashley Cole and Kevin Richardson. He is one of possibly four players to have played in the top flight of English football in four separate decades, the other players to attain this achievement are Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
, Steve Ogrizovic
Steve Ogrizovic
Steven "Oggy" Ogrizovic is a former English goalkeeper who achieved fame during 16 years at Coventry City...
and Sir Stanley Matthews.
Though Lukic played for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at youth and U21 level, he never won a full cap for the side.
Family
Lukic's son, also called John, and also a goalkeeper which prompted a transfer loan requested from Brighton and Hove for John, unfortunately for them they received John Senior not Junior and was not match fit to play, but due to squad numbers took a place on the bench. John Junior was a youth player on the books of Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, before signing for Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in June 2005. John Lukic Jr. has no club now after leaving The Mariners at the end of the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season.