The latest player that we feature in our interview series is 19-year-old Boban Nikolov, currently a member of both the Macedonian U21 national team and Romanian top division club Viitorul.
Boban Nikolov was born in Shtip in July of 1994 and he has quickly become one of the more ambitious young players that Macedonia possesses. Nikolov, who recently resumed training following a tricky groin strain injury, plays his club football in Romania with Viitorul, and he also features for Macedonia’s U21 national team.
Nikolov is known for his versatility as he played right-back and midfield for Viitorul, while he has played in attack for Macedonia U21. He has already scored two goals in 4 caps for Macedonia U21. Earlier, Boban was also capped for Macedonia’s U17 and U19 youth national teams.
Boban has spent the past 3 years under the watchful eye of Romanian footballing legend Gheorghe Hagi. Nikolov moved from Shtip to Romania as a 16-year-old to play for Gheorghe Hagi academy. After two years, he was promoted to the first team of Viitorul, a team also owned by Hagi that currently competes in Romania’s top flight.
Earlier this week, we caught up with Nikolov to talk about his time with hometown club Bregalnica, how he ended up in Romania, the differences between Romania and Macedonia, his thoughts on his favorite position, whether there was hope on the U21 team for the future and his plans for the future.
Below is our question and answer session with Nikolov:
MF: Bobi, tell us about your beginnings in football? What do you remember most about your time in Shtip, the place where you were born?
BN: Well, I started training with Bregalnica when I was 9 years old. I experienced many good moments while at Bregalnica, moments that I will never forget.
MF: How did you end up in Romania? At first you played for “Gheorghe Hagi Academy” and now you also play for his team Viitorul in the top Romanian league.
BN: They showed interest in me and invited me to train with them for 7 days. After that, they asked me if I wanted to sign with them. It was hard for me because I was only 16 years old at that time, but that was the best academy in Europe and I could not turn down the offer. And, I am happy to say that I did not make a mistake in signing with them. After 2 years in the academy, they called me up to train with the senior squad (Viitorul). Soon thereafter, I signed a professional contract with this team and I am very happy here.
MF: How would you describe the difference between the conditions and quality in Macedonia as opposed to Romania?
BN: The difference is big when it comes to the conditions and quality. My thinking is that if we had good conditions and infrastructure in Macedonia, coupled with additional investment in the clubs, then we can achieve a lot.
MF: You have played numerous positions for Viitorul and Macedonia’s youth national teams. We have seen you play RB, midfield and in attack. What position suits you best?
BN: Well, I don’t know what position. The most important thing for me during these years is to play. I am able to play multiple positions and I see that as an added plus for me.
MF: Besides Viitorul, you play internationally with Macedonia U21. From what you have observed during the games and trainings, is their hope for the future among the U21 national team?
BN: Understandably there is hope and I would say big hope. My opinion is that this generation is one of the best. We already have players from our generation who are training and playing for the senior national team and that is a very good thing.
MF: Lastly, what are your future plans? Are you happy in Romania, or do you have dreams to play in a bigger league?
BN: I am happy in Romania, but it is normal that my dream is to play in one of the top 5 leagues in Europe. Again, I am happy here but we’ll see what time shows for the future.