Croatian Star Is Red Bull Salzburg’s Newest Gem

In football, some clubs have become a ‘conveyor belt of talent’. These clubs are experts in developing some of the best young talents, and Red Bull Salzburg is one of those clubs. Over the years, the club has developed Sadio Mane, Dominik Szoboszlai, Erling Haaland, Joshua Kimmich, Dayot Upamecano, Karim Adeyemi, and Patson Daka, who all have become well-established stars. Mane signed for Bayern Munich this season while Haaland went to Manchester City, where they are the undisputed stars. And the Salzburg conveyor belt shows no signs of slowing down with Roko Simic, their latest star.  

The 18-year-old plays for Liefering, the reserve team for Salzburg, where he scored goals for fun last season. Simic has been compared with Haaland, who also played at Salzburg before going to Borussia Dortmund. The Croatian is seen as a part of the club’s future and has all the traits of becoming an elite fox in the box. 

He is the son of Dario Rimic, a veteran defender who won multiple trophies with AC Milan, including one Serie A and two Champions League. He also finished third with Croatia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

But, who is Roko Simic? And is he the next star to come out of Red Bull Salzburg?

Playing career so far

Born in Milan, Italy, Roko Simic started his career at Dinamo Zagreb before spending four years at NK Kustosija. In 2015, he would join Lokomotiva Zagreb, rising through the ranks and making his debut for the senior side on August 16, 2020. 

In his first entire season with the club, Simic scored four goals, including a brace against NK Varazdin. Roki Simic was only 17 then and had announced himself in style. Simic would add two more goals, but his performances were enough to warrant the interest of RB Salzburg.  

Roko Šimić vs NK Varaždin today:

✅22 minutes
✅2 goals
✅1 penalty won
✅2 shots
✅2 successful dribbles

17 years of age. His first-ever league goals.

Roko is the son of a former Inter and AC Milan player Dario Šimić. pic.twitter.com/usqaJojPFy

— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) April 21, 2021

The Austrian club moved quickly, snapping him up for €4 million, a record transfer for Lokomotiv. After signing him, the club immediately sent him to Liefering, their feeder club. While many players would have taken time to adapt to a new league, Simic is a different beast. 

The forward was one of the top performers in the league, helping the club to a seventh-place finish. A performance of this level…