John Lukic
In 1960 future Arsenal goalkeeper John Lukic was born, at the Gunners he would go onto win one dramatic league title in 1989 on the last day of the season after winning the 1987 League Cup.
As a schoolboy Lukic joined Leeds United. He was educated by David Harvey who he took over from him originally in a UEFA Cup Round, One, Second Leg match versus Valleta in 1979. Before then turning out in the league away to Brighton and Hove Albion in October of that year teeing him up to appear in 165 matches at Elland Road.
After requesting to leave United, Lukic departed for Arsenal in the summer of 1983 in a deal worth £75,000 to replace legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings.
In March 1984 Jennings went down injured in The Gunners match away to Coventry City, witnessing Lukic pop into Arsenal’s goal for the next four games, Lukic would pull on the green jersey for the first time in 3-1 win over Stoke City at Highbury in April.
The next campaign after Jennings played horrifically poorly, ironically away to Oxford United on Halloween night in the League Cup, which witnessed Arsenal knocked out of the competition 3-2, Jennings was set aside for one match. Lukic came into the setup to replace him for the next game, before Jennings stole the goalkeeping gloves back off of him for the next three fixtures. After this arrangement Lukic came back into the first team for the rest of the season.
During the 1985/96 campaign Lukic failed to appear in only three matches in all tournaments and throughout the 1986/87 season which saw him lift his first piece of silverware being the League Cup Final versus Liverpool.
Lukic was a constant fixture throughout the 1987/88 season where in total he played in 52 games for Arsenal featuring in the 1988 League Cup Final, in which The Gunners were beaten unexpectedly by Luton Town.
Greater occasions were to come during the 1988/89 season when Arsenal secured the title away to Liverpool in the dying minutes of the match on the final day of the season, which Lukic contributed to.
The 1989/90 campaign marked the end of Lukic’s first period at Arsenal where for the third year in a row he played in every single match of the season. At the end of the season calendar Arsenal’s head honcho George Graham brought goalkeeper David Seaman in from QPR to replace Lukic. After packing his suitcase for Leeds United once again Graham said “ I still think John Lukic is one of the best keepers in the country; I just think David Seamen is the best.”
After 277 matches for Arsenal, Lukic settled down at Leeds United becoming their most expensive transfer, to take over from Mervyn Day who was slowly approaching retirement. He would enjoy another 265 games at United, where he lifted his second league title in 1991/92 and runners-up medal in the 1995/96 League Cup Final which Leeds were defeated in by Aston Villa.
In the summer of 1996 Howard Wilkinson bagged Nigel Martyn from Crystal Palace witnessing a return to North London again. Lukic was permitted a testimonial at Elland Road in August 1996 in which he featured in the first 45 minutes of for Arsenal and Leeds for the rest of the match.
Whilst playing second fiddle to Seamen he encompassed 15 league matches in 1996/97 as cover but after Alex Manninger was signed in 1997 he was booted down the pecking order to third choice goalkeeper. With Manninger out of the 2000 UEFA Cup final defeat to Galatasaray Lukic earned a spot on the bench to take home a runner-up medal.
Later that year after a run of injuries to The Gunners other goalkeeper he made a brief spell in the first team appearing four times. His final match in the run was versus Derby County where he was just short of turning 40. Another game saw him play in goal against Lazio in October 2000 witnessing him at the time as the oldest footballer to feature in a UEFA Champions League match.
He hung up his gloves in 2001 and now coaches part time age 63.
During his International days Yugoslavia pulled an eye towards him but failed in persuading him to join the National side. However he turned down the offer to play for England. Despite turning out for England at youth and under-21 level, he never received a call up to the senior squad. The closest he came to the unreachable milestone was when he appeared for England B team in December 1990 versus Algeria in a 0-0 stalemate.
Liam Harding
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Lukic did very well considering he was the one who had to fill the boots after Pat Jennings. Jennings who along with Seaman were the best goalkeepers Arsenal ever had since 1979 when I became a Gunner supporter.