Croatian soccer legend is off to Spain.
Stipe Pletikosa is the new goalkeeper of Deportivo, the Spanish club confirmed on its official website. The former Croatian national team member decided to come out of retirement and sign a contract until the end of this season, reports Index.hr on December 28, 2015.
"This is a great club, I am so pleased to be here. I am grateful that they offered me a contract. I did not doubt what to do for a second, because this is such a major club with a rich and long history", said Pletikosa who has played for Hajduk, Shakhtar, Tottenham, Spartak and Rostov.
Pletikosa told the Spanish press that was in a good physical shape. "I have trained during December with a private coach. Of course, I will need a little bit of time, but given my experience I will need just ten days to be fully back in form", Pletikosa added.
At the age of 38, the Croatian goalkeeper has fulfilled a lifelong dream. He has signed a contract with a club which plays in one of the best European leagues.
"I am very motivated, and I will fight to be in the starting team. I am full of confidence. For me, every training session and every game is a new challenge, and I hope that I will be able to convince the club management to activate the option of extending my contract. I was never a great fan of being a retired footballer, and I have always wanted to play in the very best football leagues. During my career, I was a goalkeeper in Ukraine and Russia, but football there is not at the same level as in Spain. This is something I have always dreamt about", Pletikosa concluded.
