Pafos FC’s Mislav Oršić had a short spell at Southampton and struggled during his time at St. Mary’s.
The Croatia international was a regular at Dinamo Zagreb and his performances for them and his country had caught the Saints’ attention.
Southampton signed him in January 2023 and sold him to Trabzonspor in the summer of that year, following their relegation to the Championship.
Monday’s edition of Croatian newspaper Večernji list BiH has published an interview with the former Southampton man.
It was no surprise to see the 32-year-old talk about his time in England with the Premier League club.
He played less than 200 minutes from five matches for Southampton, and that includes only six minutes of action in the Premier League. Despite being a flop, he now insists that it wouldn’t have been possible for him to reject the English club.
The newspaper asked the fullback to review his move to Southampton and responding to that, he said: “When I put everything together, I really think that the moves were good. Two years in a row, in agreement with Dinamo, we rejected offers from England.
“After the World Cup, at the age of 30, I thought it was my last chance to try out in the English league.
“And at the moment when I chose to go to Southampton, I was thinking about how difficult it really is to [receive] such an offer. It was logical and realistic for me to accept. Because, as you know, Southampton is a top club that has been in a bit of trouble for the last two years. But I am sure that they will get out of that story.
“Unfortunately, some things in that story didn’t sit well with me. I guess that’s how it had to be. It will remain a memory that, in my own way, I was part of the strongest league in the world, which is by no means to be underestimated.”
The fullback feels the move to Southampton was the biggest transfer of his playing career so far.
“Well, in the club sense, probably. But the crown of my career is certainly the third place at the World Cup. Of course, I can’t forget the successes with Dinamo. But let’s wait a bit because I haven’t finished my career yet. You never know what awaits you,” Oršić explained.
When asked whether his struggles at Southampton have helped him in his career, he said: “Everything builds you up, success and failure. It’s just a matter of how you get out of those challenges. I try to learn something from everything that will help me to be better.”
