Tilen Golič (foto: uradna spletna stran kluba)
Hull City have signed 18-year-old Slovenian goalkeeper Tilen Golič from second-tier Ilirija after the former Maribor youngster impressed in Ljubljana.
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Hull City have completed a surprise move for promising Slovenian goalkeeper
Tilen Golič, signing the 18-year-old from Ljubljana-based Ilirija in the closing stages of the summer transfer window.
According to Nogomania's information, Ilirija have completed the sale of Golič to the English club in what represents a historic transfer for the Slovenian second-tier side. The teenager had started four matches for Ilirija this season, helping a team that has emerged as one of the early success stories of the 2. SNL campaign and currently sits second in the table.
Hull invest in another young prospect
The move represents a remarkable step in Golič's young career. Only a few months ago he was still a Maribor player, before moving to Ilirija as part of an agreement between the two Slovenian clubs.
He has made 18 appearances for Ilirija in Slovenia's second division and has now attracted the attention of Acun Ilicali's Hull City, who have decided to invest in his long-term potential.
For Ilirija, losing their goalkeeper during the season will inevitably create a sporting challenge, but the opportunity to complete a transfer to an English club represents an important moment for a side accustomed to operating far away from the financial level of the country's biggest teams.
From Celje and Domžale to English football
Golič has already experienced several of Slovenia's most established youth systems. He spent part of his early development at Celje before continuing at Domžale and then joining Maribor in January last year.
His route eventually took him to Ilirija, where regular senior football provided him with an opportunity to accelerate his development. The move has now paid off spectacularly, with Golič making the jump from the Slovenian second tier to Hull City at only 18.
Football also runs in the family. Tilen is the younger brother of Lovro Golič, the Slovenian youth international defender currently playing for Belgian club Mechelen.
Hull will now take responsibility for the next stage of the young goalkeeper's development. For Golič, it represents a major opportunity in English football; for Ilirija, it is a significant recognition of their work with young players and one of the most notable transfers in the club's history.