From scoring his first Premier League goal, to earning his first minutes in the Champions League – it’s been a season of firsts for Bajcetic.
Applauded during the match, and lauded after it. It has been a rapid rise for Stefan Bajcetic as a Liverpool senior player, to use the term as loosely as possible.
And yet, as impressive as his Liverpool career has been so far, it also serves to underline how Liverpool have unquestionably seen matters go wayward in the centre of the park. The previously untested rookie is suddenly the most reliable and most impressive option available, one who wasn’t even named in the eight or so midfield options Jurgen Klopp highlighted last summer as being the reason a new signing wasn’t required.
Most will have known Bajcetic from his pre-season performances but now he has begun to catch the eye whenever Klopp hands him a chance to perform. But how did Bajcetic find his way into Liverpool’s first-team squad, and what is his story?
Who is Stefan Bajcetic?
Promoted as a 17-year-old into Liverpool’s senior squad this summer, young midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has gone from strength to strength under Jurgen Klopp in the precious minutes he’s been afforded so far this season.
Bajcetic, born in Vigo, Spain in October 2004 is the son of former Serbian footballer Srdan Bajcetic, who played for European clubs such as Braga, Red Star Belgrade and Celta Vigo. Following in his father’s footsteps, he is a product of the Celta Vigo academy, having joined the Spanish academy aged nine.
Outside of Liverpool, he made his youth debut for Spain at U18 level in September 2021 and chose to play for Spain despite being eligible for Serbia.
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Stefan Bajcetic stats
At just 18, Bajcetic has made a total of 11 appearances so far in the space of 1 month and has also scored the only goal of his career in the Merseyside derby. The Spanish midfielder has also made a couple of appearances in the Champions League for the Reds, which shows the maturity levels he has shown beyond his years.
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Stefan Bajcetic’s potential and style of play
Bajcetic has a connection with Thiago through his parents, which might have helped him become the great passer that he is today. He is composed and brave, making audacious passes that do work out. His ability to play short and long passes so well gives him an excellent range when creating chances or getting the ball away from the opposition.
He started out as a centre-back before moving into a midfield role, which has helped him become such an excellent ball-winner. As a defender, he always tried to win the ball back, but now he’s able to drive the ball forward more in a midfield role.
Stefan Bajcetic Liverpool future
He already has his first goal, his first Champions League appearance and now his first player of the match award, courtesy of his first Merseyside derby. His glowing reputation as a youth player saw him catch the eye of Liverpool, who forked out £224,000 in 2020 to sign the young prospect.
It’s still unclear where will Liverpool finish in the league table this season, but one thing is for sure – it’s the emergence of Bajcetic and his all-action style which has finally started to plug the biggest leak in Liverpool’s season.