The pioneers of HNK Gorica, boys under 15 years of age, are leading the league table in a fierce competition, with an advantage point over the current champion Hajduk, two more than Lokomotiva and even eight points more than Dinamo, who has a game less. In short, the U15 category of the Turopolje club emerged as the autumn champion during the Christmas and New Year holidays!
And we can, with extreme proud, write that the first gunner of Gorica is a 14-year-old Mihael Kelava, an offshoot of the Football School of NK Stubica ‘Gupčev kraj’. This talented offensive midfielder, who can cover all positions in the attack if necessary, spent seven years of his youth career in NK Stubica, before he joined NK Zagorec from Krapina at the beginning of this year, and last summer he moved to the first league club Gorica. Kelava is the third top scorer in the league with nine goals, behind Istria’s Diego Sain and Dinamo’s Dino Deklić, who scored one goal more.
After three convincing victories in the opening three rounds, a draw against Hajduk followed, and until the end of autumn, Gorica celebrated hosting games against Istra 1961 3:2, Dinamo 2:1, Varaždin 2:1, Rijeka 3:2 and Zadar 2:0. There were also minor “mishaps”, home draws with fifth-placed Rudeš (for which another offshoot of the Stubica Football School, Manuel Landripet, plays) and Lučko. However, in the end, the Bulls deservedly finished the fall as the leader of the championship and the only team in the league that did not suffer a defeat.
MIHAEL KELAVA – HE SCORES IN CHAMPIONSHIP AND IN U-15 NATIONAL TEAM
Our Kelava, a player whose career is looked after by former Croatian national team member and famous international goalkeeper Dario Krešić, was especially brilliant in the match with Rijeka, when Gorica overturned the home team’s 2:0 lead. Kelava scored in the 57th to make it 2:2, and then in the 70th he brought victory to Gorica. In the next round, he scored the only goal in a draw with third-placed Lokomotiva. He also scored in a 2:0 hosting win over Zadar.
Now we are eagerly awaiting the end of February and the continuation of the 1.NL for pioneers. When the derby between the second Hajduk and the leading Gorica, led by our former member, will be played in Poljud.
And the two friendly matches between the Croatian U15 national team and the U16 categories of HNK Rijeka and NK Istra 1961, played on Wednesday, December 13 and Friday, December 15, confirmed that Kelava is in great goal-scoring form. Croatia defeated Rijeka 5:0, and the captain of the U15 national team, Kelava, was declared the player of the match by scoring a hat trick for the U15 national team Lijepa naše. Two days later, Croatia defeated Istra 1961 with 4:2, and Kelava scored – two goals.
KELAVA AND LANDRIPET – POLITE CHILDREN AND DILIGENT ATHLETES
More information about Kelava, but also about our former young stopper Manuel Landripet, was given to us by Matija Drempetić, former head of the NK Stubica Football School, under whose tutelage both of our former players trained.
“Mihael and Manuel are players of great potential. First of all, we are talking about polite children, hard-working athletes who, with their persistent work, managed to reach the clubs that play in the First Football League for Pioneers. Both of them have qualities that other kids in their categories do not have, but they also have their own shortcomings that they need to work on. It is essential that they continue to be guided in the right way, in order to make an additional step forward in their career. I wish them, first of all, to avoid injuries and to continue working and training as well as they did so far,” Drempetić told us.
Short reminder, Kelava and Landripet are great friends, they went through all the ages of our academy together, before they moved to NK Zagorec at the beginning of 2023. At the end of June in Zagreb, they won the 2009 HNS Spring Selective Tournament representing a team of 4 ŽNS, among which was our NS Krapinsko-zagorska county. Kelava was declared the best player of the tournament, and Landripet led the defense of the team that conceded only one goal in the entire tournament. The performance and presentations at that tournament opened the door wide for them to two Croatian first league teams, Gorica and Rudeš.
“Ever since he came to the club in kindergarten, Kelava showed great talent. His winning character was immediately visible, and in almost all the tournaments he played in, in football, futsal or in the Small Matchbox, he was declared the best player of the tournament. I am glad that he ended up in Gorica, a club where a young player can prove himself more easily. He is well on his way to becoming a great player, but he needs to continue working hard. I hope that he has a great career ahead of him, that he will remain strong enough in his head”, the long-term secretary of NK Stubica Branko Mirt ‘Menoti’ told us, and then he referred to another offshoot of the NK Stubica Football School, to Landripet.
“He comes from a football family. He has three other brothers who are actively involved in football and I would be very happy if he succeeds, especially because of the sacrifice of his parents who took the four kids to training every day. He is tall, has good technique for a stopper, and his character is the epitome of honesty”, claims the popular ‘Menoti‘ at the end.
Of course, it is very important to note that Kelava and Landripet are still only 14 years old and that the most important phase of their football development is ahead of them. For young players at this stage, it is still crucial to continue learning, progressing, improving technically and tactically and, of course, listening to their coaches.
Kelava and Landripet are young and conscientious players who do not skip steps. They still enjoy the football game and we are sure that their successes in 2023 will only be an additional incentive for growth and football development.
Guys, we wish you, first of all, to rest and have fun with your family and loved ones during the Christmas and New Year holidays, stick to the coach’s instructions about nutrition and training, and that 2024 will be an even better football year for your development.
Yours, NK Stubica!