Andrija Novakovich

[From Despair To Where?]

Is the dual nationality thing a big deal ?
I guess it makes it easier to bring players over but does it make any difference in terms of the ' home grown' requirements ?

Gylfi was considered home grown but he was at the club from the age of 16.

I think the main benefit is that he doesn't need a work permit, which he probably wouldn't get otherwise.

[bcubed]

The Royals have completed the signing of young American forward Andrija Novakovich.

The 18-year-old (pictured, number 19), who is of Serbian descent, is 6 ft 3 in tall and has rapidly made his way up the US youth system - making his U17s debut last year and progressing to score a brace for the U20s in a friendly clash last month.



While both of his parents are ethnically Serbian, his mother, Zorka Novakovich, was raised in England—near Reading—and holds British citizenship. Indeed his grandfather, Rade Prpa, played for Bicester Town and Oxford City.

In a recent interview, Andrijja spoke of his delight at the challenge of a move to English football.

"It was a really big decision, tough decision but I actually have family near Reading and that really helped me out,” he said . “My family and I talked about it quite a bit. It was an offer that I couldn’t really refuse. I am just following my dreams and doing what I love. I really liked the staff at Reading. Once I got there, I enjoyed the training sessions. It was just a really, really great atmosphere for me. It felt right. I liked it from the beginning.”



Read more at

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/andrija-novakovich-1628421.aspx#zkKwTcva10jqp1y8.99

[SCIAG]

Is the dual nationality thing a big deal ?
I guess it makes it easier to bring players over but does it make any difference in terms of the ' home grown' requirements ?

Gylfi was considered home grown but he was at the club from the age of 16.

I think the main benefit is that he doesn't need a work permit, which he probably wouldn't get otherwise.

The point of "home grown" regulations is that they don't discriminate on the grounds of nationality, otherwise they'd be illegal.

There would be very little chance indeed of a footballer getting a work permit if he was neither an international nor signing for a first team. I think the only way we could sign Ji et al. was by spinning it that we were educating them, then when they hit 18 we couldn't keep them.