Matija Sarkic | 1997-2024
Wolves are feeling a profound sense of sadness due to the loss of their much-loved previous goalkeeper, Matija Sarkic, who passed away at a very young age of 26.
Sarkic was a part of the Old Gold team for three seasons, starting from July of 2020 after transferring from Aston Villa. He became a well-liked member of the squad, but ultimately decided to join Millwall, a team in the Championship, one year ago.
While Sarkic was at Wolves, he played for both the under-21s and the first-team. He appeared in three professional matches throughout the 2022/23 season. In the first part of the season, the Montenegrin goalkeeper was a backup to Jose Sa and played in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
Matt Hobbs, the director of sports for the Wolves who played a part in recruiting Sarkic when he was in a different position, expressed shock over the news. It's undoubtedly a heart-wrenching tragedy, and the entire Wolves team is extremely saddened by the news.
Mati was an exceptional goalie, but more importantly, he was adored by all for his delightful personality. He was a well-liked figure in the club always flashing a grin. His commendable work ethic and amiable nature earned him plenty of respect from Compton's staff.
He was incredibly modest and interacted with others in the way he wished to be treated. He was amicable and willing to converse with anyone, but when it came to his duties, he approached them with the utmost dedication. He embodied professionalism flawlessly.
Being a goalkeeper, he fulfilled our expectations to the tee. Last summer, he switched teams to Millwall and continued to exhibit his exceptional performance. We were completely confident that he would be playing in the Premier League sooner or later.
However, for those who were close to him, it is incredibly disheartening to receive the news of his passing and it is difficult to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer present among us.
As a representative of the club, I want to express our sympathy to Mati's amazing family and his girlfriend. We are standing by them during this challenging period.
We feel extremely sad about the devastating news that we received today.
Matija was a person at the football club who always had some free time for everyone, regardless of their background or status.
He was intelligent, brilliant, friendly and humorous, devoting himself entirely to his career and those in his social circle.
One of your coworkers, a fellow team member, and an individual in your professional circle...
Sarkic, who was born to Montenegrin parents in Grimsby, played for the Montenegro team on a regular basis. He received a total of nine international caps, six of which were earned while playing for Wolves. Sarkic debuted in 2019 during a 2-0 victory over Belarus.
Upon initial arrival to the club from Villa, the goalkeeper was able to acquire valuable experience playing for Shrewsbury Town and Birmingham City on loan. Throughout his time with both teams, he played a total of 52 games in both the League One and the Championship leagues.
In May 2022, he went back to Wolves and supported James Collins' under-21 team to be promoted to Premier League 2 Division two through the play-offs. Sarkic was instrumental in the promotion as he saved a crucial penalty during the semi-final game against Norwich City at Molineux, and he also kept a clean sheet during the final against Stoke City.
At the start of the following season, Sarkic took on the role of backup goalkeeper, providing competition for the primary goalkeeper Sa. He earned his senior debut at Molineux in August 2022 when Wolves triumphed over Preston North End in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
In the 2022/23 Premier League season, he was regularly on the bench. However, he got his second start with Wolves in the following round of the tournament. In that match, he kept the goal clean and helped his team win against fellow top-flight rival, Leeds United.
After the 2022 World Cup, Sarkic had his last and third game for the team during a match against Liverpool in the FA Cup's third round at Anfield. The game was notorious as Wolves could only secure a 2-2 draw.
In January 2023, Sarkic got an chance to further improve his skills by going on loan once more. He signed up with Stoke for the remainder of the season and immediately became their top goalkeeper at the Bet365 Stadium. However, he got injured during a game against Sunderland in early March and had to sit out until the last day of the season.
During the previous summer, since Sarkic's opportunities to become top player at Wolves were limited, he made the decision to leave Molineux and permanently transfer to Millwall. He then played in 32 matches across both league and cup competitions.
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Sarkic, who left us on the morning of Saturday, June 15th in Budva, after returning to Montenegro to fulfill his international duties. His last game was on Wednesday, where he played in a 2-0 friendly match against Belgium.
Our deepest sympathies go out to Matija's loved ones during this heartbreaking moment. The entire Wolves community is keeping them in our thoughts.
