Lukic: Jovan (John)

1978-1983&1990-1996 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Chesterfield: 11-12-1960

Debut: v Valletta (h): 03-10-1979

6’4” 13st 7lb (1982)

#52 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Although christened Jovan he was always known as John in the football world. United’s tallest-ever goalkeeper, Lukic was spotted in Derbyshire schools football and signed in December 1978 after serving his apprenticeship. He ousted David Harvey and beat off the challenges of, future international, youngsters Henry Smith and David Seaman to make his name at Leeds. He learnt from Harvey and replaced him at Brighton in October 1979 and went on to make a record one hundred and forty-six consecutive appearances in League games. His run ended when he asked for a transfer and was promptly dropped. Arsenal were attracted by his ability in the air and marvellous reflexes and in June 1983 a £125,000 transfer took him to Highbury, as a long-term replacement for Pat Jennings. Lukic, who won England Youth and Under-Twenty-one honours with United, left Leeds because he wanted success at domestic and international level. By the middle of the 1984-85 season he was the club's No.1. He never made a full international appearance but won a League Cup winners’ medal in 1987 and appeared in the 1988 Final. He was a key figure as Arsenal won the 1988-89 First Division title, when he was an ever-present in the side. In the summer of 1990 Arsenal manager George Graham signed David Seaman from Queens Park Rangers. Seaman had ironically been Lukic's understudy at Leeds. After two hundred and twenty-three League games and two hundred and seventy-seven in total for the Gunners, Lukic became United’s most expensive signing when he returned to Elland Road for £1 million in May 1990. He proved a worthwhile investment in his second spell at Leeds and had a magnificent season as United won the League title in 1991-92. However in later seasons he seemed to lose form and his found his first-team place under threat from Mark Beeney. He collected a League Cup Runners-up medal in 1995-96. Manager Howard Wilkinson signed Nigel Martyn from Crystal Palace in the summer of 1996 and Lukic rejoined Arsenal on a free-transfer in July 1996, after two hundred and sixty-five more appearances in his second spell at Elland Road. As deputy to David Seaman, he played fifteen times in 1996-97 as cover, but after the signing of Alex Manninger in 1997 he stepped down to No. 3. However, with Manninger injured, Lukic was on the bench for Arsenal's 2000 UEFA Cup Final loss to Galatasaray, earning him a runners-up medal. In 2000, after a series of injuries to the club's other 'keepers, he made a brief return to the first team, playing three times, the last a month shy of his fortieth birthday; one of these, a match against Lazio on 17th October 2000 made him, at the time, the oldest player ever to take part in a UEFA Champions League match. He retired in 2001 and now coaches part-time. Lukic's son, also called John, and also a goalkeeper, was a youth player on the books of Nottingham Forest, before signing for Grimsby Town in June 2005. John Lukic Jr. has no club now after leaving ‘The Mariners’ at the end of the 2005-06 season.