Vanche Shikov, the captain of Ukrainian side Volyn and member of the Macedonian national team, recently conducted an interview with MacedonianFootball.com where he talked about his club future and his thoughts on new manager Boshko Gjurovski, among other things.

With the transfer speculation surrounding Vanche Shikov, we decided to reach out to him personally to get the latest on his future plans.  Additionally, we also asked Shikov several questions relating to the Macedonian national team such as his thoughts on the retirement of Goran Pandev and whether Boshko Gjurovski is the right manager to lead Macedonia to better results.

Shikov has been a staple in the Macedonian lineup over the past couple of years as he has formed a solid CB partnership with Nikolche Noveski.  Furthermore, Vanche has also experienced success with Volyn, his club team, where he was named captain earlier in the season.  However, he only has a contract with Volyn until this summer, so we asked him about his plans for the future.

Since joining Volyn in the summer of 2011, Shikov has amassed 65 league appearances in which he has scored 3 goals.  Meanwhile, for Macedonia, Vanche has also netted 3 goals in 32 caps.

Here is the complete transcript of the question and answer session with Shikov:

MF: Vance, you started a youth academy together with Goran Pandev.  How important is it for you to help your hometown club Tikvesh and the young footballers in the city of Kavadarci?
VS: Yes, I started the academy with the main goal of helping the young kids in the city move towards the right footballing path, and also to awaken the public in the city in order to ensure the continual existence of Tikvesh to return the team to where it belongs.

MF: Were you disappointed that Goran Pandev retired from the national team?
VS: Surely I was disappointed because we all know what Pandev means to our national team.  Just his presence on the field is a big lift for the national team.  But, that is his decision and we all need to respect that, not attack him because he has decided to retire.  Goran has done a lot for Macedonian football.

MF: For a long time now you have been a starter in the center of the defense with Nikolche Noveski?  How is the partnership between you and Noveski?
VS: Well, I believe that we get along with Noveski on defense.  We are professionals and have no problems helping one another.

MF: You have a contract with Volyn until the end of this season.  Do you expect to remain at Volyn, or is there a possibility you may change teams?  If the second, what is the most important criteria for picking a new team?
VS: Yes, I have a contract until the end of this season.  Some talks have begun with Volyn about a new contract, but I have other offers from Russia, Turkey and China.  I have nothing against staying at Volyn, but on the other side we all know about the type of leagues you talk about when you mention Russia and Turkey.  Surely, every footballer wants to go to a stronger team.  So, right now, it remains to be seen whether my current team will try to sell me during the winter transfer window, or keep my services with a new contract.

MF: Have you talked with the new manager Boshko Gjurovski, and do you think he is the right coach that can lead Macedonia to better results?
VS: I have not yet talked with the new manager, but we all know about what kind of name you’re talking about it here.  I believe that Boshko is the right solution for the national team, and that under his watch we will achieve much better results in the new qualifications.

In the coming days, we will publish additional articles about the interviews we did with several other Macedonian footballers.  The next one will be about Marjan Radeski, the 18-year-old who was recently named the best young player for the year of 2013 by the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM).