December 22, 2020 - Lovre Kalinic is back at Poljud! The experienced 30-year-old goalkeeper will come to Hajduk Split on loan from Aston Villa until June 30, 2021.
Kalinic started his goalkeeping career at Hajduk at the age of nine and moved through all the younger age categories at the club. As a senior for Hajduk, he played seven first-league seasons, making a total of 134 official appearances.
He left Hajduk in December 2016 for Ghent, Belgium, where he was in goal for two seasons, after which he moved to Aston Villa. He spent the first half of 2020 on loan in Toulouse, France, and then returned to Aston Villa.
Kalinic recorded 11,962 official minutes for Hajduk, and as many as 50 times, his net remained free from goals. Lovre is also the club record holder, going 775 minutes without conceding a goal in HNL matches. The former Hajduk goalkeeper set that record from August 10 to October 24, 2015, when he did not concede a goal for a full eight games in a row. He made a total of 19 official appearances for the Croatia national team.
"I take this opportunity to thank President Jakobušić for initiating the story of my return. His wish was really great on my part as well, although I was offered several options from Belgium on the table. Many will say that Hajduk is currently poor in terms of results, but Hajduk is still a huge club. I was particularly intrigued by the story and project of a president who wants to create a strong and powerful club. From the first conversation, I felt positive, which is why I didn’t hesitate much. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m happy to be back. I can’t wait to join the team. We all need to come together and start working on big things," said Kalinic.
"Lovre, welcome, and we wish you good luck and success in the white jersey," Hajduk concluded on its website when announcing Lovre's return.
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