Fahrudin Kudozovic has stated that there was only “one decision” and one winner in the race to land his signature, after he added another piece to Ian Foster’s puzzle when putting pen to paper on a one-year full-time deal with Dundalk on Thursday afternoon. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder, who was Cork City’s joint-top league scorer last season with eight goals – the same number as Billy Dennehy, was set to stay on Leeside, where he last year moved to with his young family. However, after Cork’s failed bid to obtain a Premier Division licence for the coming season earlier this week, Kudozovic has quickly moved to secure his future by signing on at Oriel Park.

‘Sorted and settled’
“I’m glad to get the contract out of the way and I’m very glad to be here, and to be sorted and settled,” Faz exclusively told dundalkfc.com within minutes of signing. “I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to be playing now. Ian and myself actually spoke a month ago, before I initially signed for Cork City, and, to be honest, I was very keen then. But just with being already in Cork, the wife and kid being down there, I just sort of settled for the easy option, I suppose, and stayed there. But also the fact that Cork were in Europe played a major part in it. Also the manager, Roddy Collins, had a big impact on me, and to be honest I did want to play for him, so taking those factors I wanted to stay.

Sealing the deal
“But, unfortunately, with Cork, what happened happened, and I’m here now,” he said. “To be honest, I was very glad to pick up the call from Ian two or three nights ago, and once he called me – after I spoke to a couple of lads as well, as you do – I said to him I’m coming up to sort it out, and thankfully we just have. I’ve played against Dundalk a good few times in the past when I played for Sligo. Obviously, I know some of the players. I know there are some good players here – Liam Burns, Neale Fenn, and some new lads that the manager has brought in. I know enough, and the main thing is that I’m here.”

One winner
Rumours circulated yesterday that Kudozovic had signed for Galway United. And while admitting that former Dundalk boss Sean Connor did show interest in him, the Bosnian stated there was only ever one winner in the race to land him, as he also rejected offers from lower-league clubs in the UK. “I have been speaking to Galway also,” he said, “to Sean Connor, a very good man and a good friend of mine. He was on the phone to me, but, unfortunately, between Dundalk and Galway there could only really be one decision that I could make, especially with the setup here and the professionalism, and the squad being full-time. There was only one place I was going to come. There were a couple of other offers in England but they were in the lower leagues, which didn’t interest me. If you aspire to be anything, you need to be playing at a top level, and this is a top level in a big country in Europe, so I had to stay.”

Doolin influence
Twelve months ago, ‘Faz’ was also the subject of interest from Connor when he was manager of the Lilywhites, but Paul Doolin’s move to manage the Leesiders, plus envying Cork’s setup when playing against them in previous years, persuaded the striker to follow his old Drogheda boss to Cork. “Sean, last year, did contact me prior to the season starting,” he said. “But with Paul Doolin taking the Cork job and obviously contract-wise and financial-wise, it was a better move for me. I’m devastated what has happened to Cork City – it’s quite a sad thing, really. I really feel sorry for the whole city to lose that club. But since coming to Ireland, after playing a few times against Cork, I really wanted to play for Cork and I really wanted to play at Turner’s Cross. So, for me, I could only go there last year, because I really wanted to do that. I was really sad about the situation and especially now, I do feel sorry for the whole city, because no Premier League football there is very sad.”

No choice
Following on from Cork City’s demise, Cork City FORAS Co-Op has been set up and will play in the First Division. However, Kudozovic insists he has worked too hard since coming into the league to drop to the second tier again, a division he won with Sligo Rovers in 2005. “It’s a tough one,” he said when asked if there was ever a chance of signing for Cork’s newest team. “The new manager was last year’s assistant, Tommy Dunne, someone I’d admire and he’s a very good guy, and a very good coach. But I’ve worked too hard in the last few years to play in Division One, and I couldn’t let that happen to myself and my family. As I said, if I’m aspiring to be anything in my career then this was the only way forward for me.

Learning curve
“I’ve been away in a couple of countries during the winter, and, to be honest, I’ve learned a lot about things that maybe you wouldn’t learn in Ireland, like what is needed at a different level,” he said. “I hope I get to express that I’ve improved as a player from last year. For me, personal goals are scoring goals and assisting goals. Those are my only two aims on a matchday, to create and to score, and thirdly to work hard for the team. But I really hope that I have a good season. I just feel from my experience abroad that I’ve picked up a few things and I really do hope that I can express them. With going abroad and everything, my mind is sort of at peace that I can play out there – they’re not world beaters at all. The talent here in Ireland, I think we need to realise that this is a top league. I think people sometimes forget that. Yes, in the last two seasons, there has been a lot of negative stuff, but I think we need to remember that this is a top league in a top European country. Yes, we may not have the best clubs, but you’re in the window. My mind is at peace that I’m here and I have to do the best here, and that’s it.”

Top-three hope
Kudozovic also feels that Dundalk can challenge for a top-three place, with him viewing only Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers as teams almost certain to be in the top trio. “I spoke to the manager, and I don’t see why not,” he said. “Most seasons, managers will say yes, we’ll go above five, four, three etc. But with Derry gone and Cork City gone, I can only see Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers being a solid sort of top three. I think anything below first and second place; I think it’s a fight for. But there are other good teams. I think Sligo Rovers will be very strong. Then you have got the likes of Sporting Fingal and UCD who always play good football, so they’ll be good. But, to be honest, being here today, seeing the players and speaking to the manager, I’d be very positive. I think the squad is very good, I think there are some very good players and I think it looks like we have a good balance between experience and youth, and hopefully I can fit into that somewhere as well.”

Bray debut
Kudozovic is due to move from his current base in Cork to Drogheda, where he lived during his time with the United Park club. “I lived there two years ago, so with the wife knowing the area and it’s only 15 minutes up the road, it’s ideal,” he said. Faz will begin his spell with the club in earnest this weekend and will not be available for Friday’s trip to Monaghan United. “I’ll be starting work from the weekend, just with moving up and stuff,” he said. “I’ve got a few things to do.” Instead, he will make his club debut against Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds next Friday, and he “can’t wait” for the season to begin. “I can’t wait for the games to start,” he said. “This is the only thing that has kept me sane in the last two months.

Competitive edge
“You can train and you can play friendlies, but you really miss the competitive edge,” he added. “I don’t know what many people see of the league – I know, as I said, there have been many negatives in the past 12 months. But I can tell you when you go over that white line on a Friday evening it’s tough, and I don’t think many people know that. It’s tough to play, so it will be good – I can’t wait. And having lost a two-goal lead in the final 11 minutes to go down 3-2 at the ground last October, Kudozovic is aware of how tough the opening-day task will be. “We were winning whilst I was on the field,” he quipped. “But no, Bray are always busy, they work hard, they’re young and they want to get about.”

English beginnings
Kudozovic, from Vlasenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina, previously had spells in England with Derby County and Notts County before making the move to the League of Ireland for the first time when signing for Sligo in 2005, the Bit O’ Red then managed by Connor. In his first season at the Showgrounds Kudozovic helped the club to the First Division title, and he spent two more years there, before his impressive displays earned him a move to reigning champions Drogheda United at the beginning of 2008. He scored three goals during a disappointing campaign for the Boynesiders as financial troubles saw them enter examinership, with a ten-point deduction leaving them in eighth place in the final table. On 27 January 2009, Kudozovic followed former Drogheda boss Doolin to Cork and he finished as the club’s joint-top scorer as they finished in third – their highest league position since winning the title in 2005.

Foster ‘delighted’
Foster is also ‘delighted’ with his latest acquisition, which brings his squad count to 14 players. “He’ll add plenty of quality to our squad,” he said. “He’s a fantastic player, he’s got plenty of League of Ireland experience and he’ll add competition for places, so we’re delighted to get him on board. Obviously, we have kept an eye on the Cork City situation. Faz was living down in Cork with his young family, and I didn’t think he particularly wanted to up sticks and leave. But obviously the goalposts moved with regard to Cork City, and he’s miles better than a First Division player. As soon as we knew Cork’s fate I was straight on the phone to Faz, and trying to negotiate a deal. He’s come up today and he’s agreed terms, and we’re delighted to have him.

‘Great technique’
“It has not been a case of trying to sell the football club to him, or anything like that,” Fozzy added. “He knows all about Dundalk and the size of its fan-base, and he has actually had family up here as well, so he knows all about the town. It wasn’t a case of having to do that. It’s just like everything else, you’ve got to make sure that he can settle up here and the move is right for him, and everything can be put in place for him to become a Dundalk player. Kudozovic hasn’t come up here for the money, like anybody else. He has come up here because he sees that we’re going to be competitive and he wants to be a part of it. I’ve seen plenty of him, and every time I’ve seen him I’ve liked what I’ve seen. He’s got great feet, great technique, he can score goals and he can create goals, and, like I said, he will be a great addition to our squad.”

Wish list
Foster also admitted that Kudozovic was among those at the top of his wish list and he is hoping that the 25-year-old will prove to be a shrewd piece of business in the close-season, while he also pointed to his versatility. “If there is an opportunity to go and get someone of his experience and quality, you’ve got to ask the question,” he said. “Fortunately, for me, we asked the question and he said yes. The reason we went after Kudozovic, like the reason we went after a number of our players, is versatility. I wouldn’t nail a position down for him. He can play anywhere across the midfield and he can play as a striker. He is very intelligent, like I said, he’s technically good, and he can play anywhere on the pitch. You seen for Cork last year, he played wide right, wide left and through the middle. Good players can play anywhere, and he’s certainly that.”