Tottenham credited by Croatia Under-21 manager for loaning out Luka Vuskovic to HSV Hamburger in the summer
On the back of his sensational rise at Hajduk Split, Luka Vuskovic was signed by Tottenham Hotspur as a 16-year-old in 2023. After spending 18 months out on loan, the teenager officially arrived earlier this July.
Since Thomas Frank wasn’t certain about handing the central defender regular game time to aid his development, the north London club ended up sending him out on loan to HSV Hamburger. Luka Vuskovic has had quite an impact at HSV Hamburger. Not only has he established himself as one of their mainstays in defence, but the 18-year-old has also arguably been their standout performer, helping them secure some important results.
The Tottenham loanee is proving himself for the first time in a leading European league and has impressed for long stretches. Vuskovic, nicknamed him ‘Air Vuskovic’ for his powerful and dominant aerial ability by the German media, was called up to the Croatia Under-21 squad for the October international break’s European qualifying fixtures. He led the Croatia Under-21 to a 1-0 victory over Ukraine in Velika Gorica before returning to Hamburg last week.
Croatia Under-21 manager heaps praise on Tottenham for polishing Luka Vuskovic
Croatia Under-21 manager Ivica Olic has praised Tottenham for handling Vuskovic’s development by deciding to loan him out to Hamburg in the summer. Ahead of Hamburg vs Wolfsburg this weekend, Olic, who represented both clubs during his playing career, was asked about the teenager.
Having managed him for the Under-21s, the former Croatian international is well aware of the Tottenham player’s quality and potential. He is convinced that Vuskovic will make it to the 2026 World Cup if he continues to shine for Hamburg.
“If Luka continues to perform so well for HSV and his country and stays healthy, I’m convinced he will be at the World Cup,” Olic said in an interview with Bild.
“He was carefully developed, loaned to Poland and Belgium. And the loan from Tottenham to my former club also makes a lot of sense. A lot of things were done right. That’s how you develop talent. But it’s important that he continues to play well.
“Luka is a down-to-earth boy who is very mature for his age, both on and off the pitch. He lives and loves football. You can feel that in every training session, in every game. He always gives 100%.”
Tottenham rightly praised for nurturing Vuskovic’s talent
Vuskovic is highly regarded in Croatia, with fans dreaming of seeing him pair up with Josko Gvardiol in central defence and solve the team’s defensive problems for the best part of the decade. He has been involved with the senior Croatia side under Zlatko Dalic on a few occasions. Like Olic, Croatian journalists Damir Dobrinic and Tvrtko Puljic have also predicted the Tottenham youngster to seal a 2026 World Cup spot.
Olic has rightly credited Spurs for the handling of an exciting prospect tipped for a big future in the game. The Lilywhites have a plan devised for the Split-born talent to help him unlock his true potential. The defender is still raw and inexperienced, as he made a rare lapse in concentration in the 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig last weekend. Vuskovic lost sight of goalscorer Christoph Baumgartner before Hamburg conceded the first goal.
Such mistakes and experiences will help Vuskovic to get better and polish his game. However, Vuskovic would not want to make such a mistake when Olic will be in the stadium watching Hamburg against Wolfsburg.