As West Ham United continue the final season at the Boleyn Ground, we’ve asked our players for some memorable lasts from their careers and lives, as well as some firsts. Assistant manager Nikola Jurcevic goes under the spotlight…
FIRSTS
Can you tell us about the first trophy you won as a player?
“Yes, I won the Austrian league championship with Austria Salzburg. I was also the top scorer in the league and for me it was a very nice time in Austria, because we were champions two times and we played in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup final. I was also voted the best foreign player in Austria one year, so it was a very nice time for me.”
Can you tell us about your first goal in professional football?
“It was many years ago for NK Zagreb, the team from my home city. We played away in a small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina called Trebinje and I scored the first two goals in a 3-2 victory.”
Which rule would you change in football first?
“For now it is the confusion caused by passive offside – whether or not a player is interfering with play. There are many difficult decisions and explanations and it could be done better. Also, very important I feel a penalty plus a red card is too big a punishment.”
Who was your first football hero?
“Mario Kempes, the Argentina forward who won the World Cup in 1978.”
What was your first nickname?
“Jura!”
Who is the last teammate – past or present – who you would want to be stuck in a lift with?
“This is a very difficult question! It would maybe be my old Croatia colleague Aljosa Asanovic. He used to hate being in the lift, so if we got stuck he would start to panic a little bit!”
Can you tell us about the last goal of your career?
“Yes, I had to finish my career at 33 because I had a back injury, a herniated disc, so my last goal was for Austria Salzburg against Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup.”
Style-wise, which was the last shirt you would want to wear again?
“I could never say a shirt I wore was bad style! The best was the shirt I wore with Zagreb, because this is my club and I liked them all my life. We had a shirt with a blue collar which I loved.”
Who was the last shirt you collected after a game?
“Like many players I was a big fan of collecting shirts and since I have retired I have given some away as presents to my friends. The last one I swapped was with Mehmet Scholl of Germany at Old Trafford, where we lost 2-1 at Euro 96.”
What was the last piece of fan mail you received from a supporter?
“I cannot remember the last item, but in Austria we did well and were very popular. At my mother’s home, I think she still has more than 1,000 letters, with some supporting messages and small souvenirs, including some which said ‘I love you!’ – but that was a long time ago!”