Jakov Dedić (16) has scored two goals in his first two appearances for Hoffenheim II, becoming the team's top scorer, with his coach predicting a bright future.
Jakov Dedić will celebrate his 17th birthday in just fourteen days, and although he arrived in German football only a month ago, he is already being talked about with praise. The young Croatian striker scored this weekend in his second consecutive appearance for Hoffenheim II in the third tier of German football, confirming that he needed no adjustment period to his new environment.
Dedić immediately found the net in his debut against Hansa Rostock, becoming the second-youngest scorer in the history of the 3. Liga at 16 years and 347 days. He is also the seventh-youngest player ever to appear in the competition. A week later, he scored against Fortuna Düsseldorf, and after two matchdays, he is Hoffenheim II's top scorer.
"If he continues like this, every door in the football world will be open to him," enthused Stefan Kleineheismann, coach of Hoffenheim's second team.
Once a generational talent at Osijek, he attracted significant attention from European clubs this spring. In the youth categories of the blue-and-whites, he scored more than 370 goals, which earned him an invitation to the first-team winter preparations last winter. Last summer, then-coach Simon Rožman gave him a chance in a friendly against Cibalia, where he came on in the 71st minute and scored in the 74th.
In February this year, at 16 years, 5 months, and 12 days, he played his first HNL minutes, but in an Osijek shirt, he accumulated barely half an hour across three senior appearances. The club reacted too late, and changes in the club's leadership, including the departure of sporting director Alen Petrović, pushed the contract issue down the priority list. For a month and a half, until Kenneth Zandvliet's appointment, no one could even negotiate with Dedić and his representatives.
"Dedić has attracted interest from several well-known clubs. He will start preparations with us, and our goal is to keep him," said Zandvliet at the start of preparations, but just a few days later, Dedić packed his bags from the dressing room at Opus Arena.
Meanwhile, Dedić's goals helped the U-17 national team qualify for the European Championship. Of the eight goals scored in matches against Slovakia, Ireland, and Poland, he netted five, and at the final tournament, he stood out with a hat-trick in a 3:2 win over Spain. Hoffenheim and Werder reacted immediately, and Osijek could no longer hold onto a player entering the final year of his scholarship contract.
Osijek ultimately accepted Hoffenheim's €850,000 compensation fee, which could potentially rise with bonuses. "Jakov is a great talent who, despite his youth, possesses excellent physical attributes. His attacking skills are already at an exceptional level. He is an athletic, dynamic, and technically gifted striker with enormous development potential. We are confident he will break through with us," said Hoffenheim sporting director Frank Kramer.
The development plan was already in place, and Dedić was immediately integrated into the second team. Kleineheismann was tasked with preparing him for Bundesliga football and admitted that the Croatian footballer's approach makes his job significantly easier.
"Jakov has a special physical talent that is certainly not common... Our job is to develop him further and keep him grounded. But he has a fantastic mindset. We'll make sure he continues to work hard," praised Kleineheismann. German sports magazine Kicker highlighted him, noting that "Dedić is following in the footsteps of his idol Kramarić."
