Ilic: Sasa

2005-2005 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Melbourne, Australia: 18-07-1972

Debut: None

6’4” 14st (2003)

Capped twice by Yugoslavia, although born in Australia of Serbian descent, Ilic was taken on loan on 24th March 2005. He did not actually step on the pitch, but he wore the United goalkeeping kit as an unused substitute in United’s fixtures on 2nd April 2005, at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, on 1st May 2005 at Leicester City and on 8th May 2005 at home to Rotherham United, in the final fixture of the season. Ilic started his football career in his native Australia with Bonnyrigg White Eagles in Sydney, but joined Borac Banja Luka in his family’s home country. He made the clubs first team in 1992-93 and played twenty-seven games before he then went to FK Radnicki for three seasons, making sixty-one appearances and then moving on to St Leonards Stamcroft in the English Dr Martens League in 1996. In 1997 he had trials with Aston Villa, where he took part in two friendly games on 21st and 29th July 1997, and Plymouth Argyle, before signing for Charlton Athletic on 23rd October 1997 and being loaned to Welling United, for a month at the end of the year. Over the next four seasons he made fifty-nine appearances without ever cementing his position as the regular keeper. But in the 1997-98 season, being a regular choice in goal he found himself a hero at the club when he saved Michael Gray's penalty in a 7-6 win on penalties in the Division One play-off Final. In the 1998/1999 season Ilic was again fairly regular in goal but Charlton were relegated. In February 2000 he went on a month’s loan to West Ham but only made one appearance and that was in a 0-4 home defeat by Everton on 26th February 2000. In September 2001 he was off to Portsmouth on a one month loan in which time he made seven appearances. He then, in January 2002, he went to Zalaegerszeg, an Hungarian team. His contract with Charlton ran out at the end of the 2001-02 season and it was not renewed. While at the Valley he had played fifty-one League, two F.A. Cup, three League Cup and six other games, which included the play-offs. He remained at Zalaegerszeg, where he played both legs of a Champions League tie against Manchester United, helping them to a 1-0 home win over the English Champions in August 2002. He was slightly less fortunate in the return game, being sent off at 3-0 down as the Old Trafford side romped home 5-0. He did play twenty-five games for the Hungarian side before he signed for Portsmouth on 11th February 2003 but left when his contract ran out at the end of the season without playing a game. Barnsley took him on on 8th August 2003 and he made thirty-three appearances, twenty-five in the League, five in the F.A. Cup, one in the League Cup and two in the LDV Vans Trophy, before moving on to Sheffield United on 26th February 2004. He never played a game for the Bramall Lane club and left for Blackpool at the season’s end. After just five games, three in the League and two in the LDV Vans Trophy, for the sea-siders he was off again leaving Bloomfield Road on 6th November 2004. He had trials with Bradford City from 22nd November 2004 but did not stay or play. He next went to Aberdeen on 13th January 2005 and again did not play a game before going on loan to Leeds on 24th March 2005. At the end of his loan period with Leeds on 31st May 2005, he could not find another club. He next had a trial at Reading when they were short of goalkeepers and was there from 4th July 2005 for ten days. After retiring became an entrepreneur, with interests that include an interior design company, and also in banking as a consultant with Austrian-based Hypo Group Alpe-Adria. He also also acted in a couple of low budget films including the 2010 film, A Day of Violence. He was capped twice for the country of his parents Yugoslavia, which later was known as Serbia and Montenegro. His debut was on 23rd December 1998 in Ramat Gan when Yugoslavia were beaten 2-0 by their hosts Isreal. His second and final was on 25th April 2001 in Belgrade as Yugoslavia went down to Russia 0-1 in a World Cup Qualifying match.