Serbian born Filip Djuricic moved to Greece from Red Star’s academy, aged only 15, to further his development but returned to sign on for home town club after a year. Not long after he was spotted by a United scout playing for Serbia U17s in Israel and invited to Old Trafford for a 10-day trial. Impressing enough to be offered terms, there were issues with a work permit however and United wanted to loan him out in Europe to circumnavigate the problems, but the young midfielder wanted something more stable and spurned the move. Within a year he got a permanent contract into Dutch football, earning a bit of a reputation along the way with Gerrie Muhren, an Ajax scout and ex-Holland international, describing him as

“the Balkan Cruyff with a hint of Kaka”.

He had a superb 2011-12 season with Heerenveen which prompted Benfica to sign him on a five-year deal, for €6m, but could not live up to Muhren’s appraisal which was the main reason he ended up at St Mary’s on loan.

The move made sense, Ronald Koeman was familiar with Djuricic’s reputation earned while in the Eredivisie and fellow Serbian international,  Dusan Tadic helped sell the Saints to him, but the switch to the south coast from the Portuguese capital did not rekindle the form he had once shown in the Netherlands. There was an option to buy at the end of the season, but the club did not take it up and he has recently spent much of his football playing in Italy’s Serie B.