Btw, I checked his career and sometimes it's very hard to comprehend why don't scouts spot players earlier.
Until he was 20 Ilicic played in Slovenian 2nd league. In the last two years he played for a Slovenian team that finished in the lower part of the table in both seasons (last year they finished 2nd from the bottom). Only when he was 22 one of the bigger Slovenian teams spotted him and after playing 4-5 matches for them Palermo saw him and bought him.
Watching him in Palermo it's clear that the boy has it and it's almost impossible how in such a small country the best teams didn't get him until he was 22.
Usually in small countries like Slovenia the good players are noticed in their teens.
No, but seriously. It's not like Croatia and Serbia are much bigger than Slovenia, but we're used to hearing the names of young CRO or SER players year after year. In countries like Slovenia or Macedonia that's not the case and when a talent emerges there he's being "advertised" strongly and either the big teams in those countries get him or he leaves the country in his teens. Even in stronger leagues than the Slovenian, you can hardly find 22 year old talents. They already moved in the big 7-8 european leagues.
No, but seriously. It's not like Croatia and Serbia are much bigger than Slovenia, but we're used to hearing the names of young CRO or SER players year after year. In countries like Slovenia or Macedonia that's not the case and when a talent emerges there he's being "advertised" strongly and either the big teams in those countries get him or he leaves the country in his teens. Even in stronger leagues than the Slovenian, you can hardly find 22 year old talents. They already moved in the big 7-8 european leagues.