Young Croatian international Luka Vušković, in a major interview with The Athletic, revealed why he wears Hajduk's stadium tattooed on his arm, spoke about marking Harry Kane at the World Cup, and admitted that the Premier League is not his biggest dream.
Luka Vušković (19), Brighton's new rising star and Croatian international, gave an extensive interview to the reputable The Athletic ahead of the season. The conversation began with him explaining his tattoos, with particular attention drawn to the one dedicated to Split's Poljud, the stadium where he took his first footballing steps. The young center-back, who completed a transfer from Tottenham to Brighton this summer worth a whopping €53 million and signed a five-year contract with an option for an additional year, proudly showed off the tattoo.
"That's the first stadium I ever played in, and it's my favorite. It's starting to fall apart a bit now and needs renovation, but it's really beautiful," Vušković told The Athletic.
The young defender is thrilled with his first days at his new club and emphasizes that his adaptation has been incredibly easy thanks to the support of teammates and the coaching staff. He is aware of the strong competition in defense but views it as a positive challenge. Brighton, a club known for developing young talents and later selling them to bigger clubs for huge sums, presented him with a project that excited him.
"The adaptation has been really easy because my teammates, coaches, and the whole club have been helping me from day one. Whoever performs best in matches and training will play. It's great to have that kind of competition. In my position, we have a lot of quality players, and the best will get the chance—it's that simple," he said.
Vušković is confident that Brighton, renowned for its brilliant work with young players, is the ideal environment for his continued development. He stressed that he believes this is the best move for his career because it's one of the best systems in the world for nurturing young talent. However, when asked if the Premier League is his biggest dream, he gave a somewhat unexpected answer that surprised English journalists.
"I'm looking forward to playing here, but it wasn't my biggest dream. Of course, this is the best league in the world, and I'm happy I'll soon play my first match. I'm happy and, in a way, proud," he said, then added when asked about his biggest dream: "I never think like that. Maybe Spain, because life there is most similar to life in Croatia."
Although he has yet to make his Premier League debut, Vušković already has impressive international experience. In June, at the World Cup in the USA, in his sixth appearance for the senior national team, he had the tough task of marking England captain Harry Kane. Croatia lost that match 4-2 in Arlington, with Kane scoring twice in the first half, one from the penalty spot. Vušković was substituted in the 66th minute, and in the remaining three matches, including a 2-1 loss to Portugal in the round of 16, he did not come off the bench.
"I learned that every small mistake costs dearly. He's one of the best strikers in the world, so it was very tough. It was a good experience because I have great teammates in the national team, although of course we're not happy with the result," Vušković was honest.
His path to English football was anything but direct. As a Tottenham player, he went through a series of loans that toughened him up: first at Poland's Radomiak (2023/24 season), then at Belgium's Westerlo (2024/25), and last season he shone at Hamburg, scoring six goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances.
"My time in Poland helped me a lot as a player. Then Westerlo, then Hamburg. All those steps were very important, and I'm glad I went through them. I'm only 19, I need to work on many things, and I have plenty of room for improvement. I'll give my maximum to reach my potential," concluded the young Croatian defender.
