Huddersfield Town v Plymouth Argyle: Why January signing Bojan Radulovic feels most at home in English football

As a Spanish-born Serbian youth international who has played in Sweden and Finland, Bojan Radulovic has experienced a lot of different football for someone just turned 24.

But as he returns for a second crack with Huddersfield Town, he feels best suited to the English game.

You only need look at his 6ft 3in frame to see why he feels at home in such a physical league but his Spanish upbringing – including loans with Alaves and Espanyol’s B teams – mean a man bought as a targetman is more than just a big lump.

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And Radulovic, who hopes to shake off a minor knock in training on Friday to make his Championship debut at home to Plynouth Argyle on Saturday, knows a thing or too about the English game.

Brighton and Hove Albion bought him from local club Lleida Esportiu in 2018 and although his only senior games in two years came in those loans, the Seagulls' recent record of buying in and honing talent makes their name leap out on his CV.

His time on the south coast taught Radulovic skills honed over the past three summer seasons with Sweden's AIK and Finland's HJK and ensured when his agent told him of Huddersfield's interest, he knew what he was getting himself in for.

"When I was at Brighton they were playing in the Premier League for two years," he says in excellent English. "From there I started to follow Huddersfield.

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"I'm really excited to be helpful for this team, to score goals and be important."

TARGETMAN: Huddersfield Town have bought Bojan Radulovic for his ability to hold the ball up and get on the end of crossesTARGETMAN: Huddersfield Town have bought Bojan Radulovic for his ability to hold the ball up and get on the end of crosses
TARGETMAN: Huddersfield Town have bought Bojan Radulovic for his ability to hold the ball up and get on the end of crosses

Forty years ago playing centre-forward in England was much more about brute force but Radulovic feels he has a good blend for the 21st Century.

"The Spanish school is more about how to play with the ball, not that physicality, and in Scandinavia it's completely different; I would say here is a bit of a mix of both," he comments.

"At Brighton it was maybe more the physical side I learnt because in Spain the work we did there was more technical with the ball."

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That physicality is important to Moore, who had success with Michael Smith as Sheffield Wednesday's targetman last season but has only had 240 minutes and one goal from injury-prone Danny Ward.

Radulovic “allows me to do different things I would probably have wanted to do but wasn't able to," says Moore. "I can play players in different roles that may suit them (better) and him.

"His all-round play is very good and we saw him fashion a half-chance at Manchester City (on debut as a second-half substitute in the FA Cup third round last Sunday).

"It allows us to put the ball in box aerially and deliver it from certain angles where we wouldn't maybe have delivered it before."

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It should be music to the ears of Sorba Thomas, noted for his crossing, and creator, with a pass along the ground, of Sunday’s chance.

"These kind of players help a lot in terms of delivering good chances to score," says Radulovic.

"It's easy with good players by your side. It (the understanding) just came through the game.

"It was nice playing for 30 minutes to get a bit of rhythm and some minutes ahead of the Plymouth game. It would have been nice if I had scored but that hopefully will come soon."

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