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Fullname: Filip Benković
aka: Filip Benkovic
Born: 12 July 1997
Birthplace: Zagreb, Croatia
Signed: 31 Aug 2018 (on loan from Leicester 1yr)
Left: 31 May 2019 (back to Leicester)
Position: Centre-back, Defender
Debut: St Mirren 0-0 Celtic, SP, 14 Sep 2018
Squad No.: 32
Internationals: Croatia
International Caps: 1 [complete at end of career]
International Goals: 0 [complete at end of career]
Biog
| “I came here to get trophies, to be part of it, and to help the team. The least I can do is give everything I have on the pitch.” Filip Benkovic (Dec 2018) |
Croatia had reached the World Cup final in 2018 against the odds, and so the country’s standing in football was at a high. Filip Benkovic was not in the squad, but was a highly promising talent whom Celtic in desperation grabbed on loan for a season due to need for better central defensive cover. The defence in the past season had been deteriorating, and Celtic were recently knocked out the Champions League qualifiers so needed to placate the support who were in uproar due to a very poor transfer window which saw Celtic lose greater talent with little in return in new players of promise.
In came Benkovic, and from the off it was clear that he had star quality but sadly he wasn’t Celtic’s man, just a loanee. He was a high-cost purchase for Leicester of £13m and they wanted the young player to get some experience.
He was to be a mainstay for much of the first half of the season and helped to shore up a central defence alongside the want-away Boyata. Both were quality but the start of the season was rocky and much had to improve.
Benkovic was a tall and athletic player, not afraid to make a challenge and get stuck in, and you could see his commitment. He physically looked the part for a modern central defender. He never wavered, and he was a model loan signing unlike certain others Celtic have had over the years.
He scored two goals for Celtic, one in a 5-0 league win v Hearts when Hearts were challenging for the top spot in the league and then in a 3-0 win v Dundee in Dec 2018, and you could see from his joy what those moments meant to him. Clearly he was learning and adapting to the game, and enjoying it.
Frustratingly, Benkovic sustained an injury in a 3-0 Premiership triumph over Hamilton Accies in Jan 2019. He completed the 90 minutes, but the extent of the damage to the leg only emerged after the final whistle.
He finally returned in late March, but by this time Celtic had practically wrapped up the league, and there was little left for him to prove. Ajer & Simunovic for the longer term were preferred to play when possible as it was already clear Benkovic was not to stay on at Celtic.
Celtic won the treble, to complete the historic third domestic treble in a row which was exceptional and qualified to the next round of the Europa League. So a fine season and one that Benkovic will hopefully look back on with pride. He was a good part of the success, and will be respected for it.
Ironically, he was to return to Leicester to be managed by Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager who had left prematurely during this same season to go and manage Leicester. There were hopes Benkovic would be sent back to Celtic for another season.
In total, he played 28 games, far more than many could actually remember him having played due to the loss from the injury spell. He will also be thankful to Celtic as he finally made his international debut for the high-rising Croatian side in a friendly on 11 June 2019 v Tunisia. Without the Celtic loan spell he might not have won that chance to get off the ground.
We wished him the best.
On his return to Leicester under Brendan Rodgers, in season 2019/20 due to factors including injuries & a rejuvenated Leicester City side, he ended up with no first team appearances for his parent club. He was sent out on loan in January to Bristol City but then football all ground to a halt after just a few appearances for Benkovic at Bristol due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he was making little headway. Then he had a loan spell at Cardiff and hardly played, and so on. He was stuck in the reserves at Leicester when really someone of his talent deserved first team experience.
Everything was just going badly wrong. It was clear that not staying on at Celtic, even if again just on loan, had become a bad error and he had been badly advised. His colleague at Celtic, Ajer, won a high profile seven figure transfer to Brentford, so adds to the evidence that Celtic would have been likely best for him, rather than the demoralising loan treadmill.
He was cut with 18 months left on his expensive contract with Leicester despite having been bought originally for £13m, and made zero league appearances for Leicester.
It all continued to go horribly wrong for him, with a move to Udinese seeing him play little for the club, followed by uninspring loan moves to Eintracht Braunchweig and Trabzonspor, before his contract was ended early.
To rub things in, he had not won a single further international cap since the one he earned whilst at Celtic. He was so far out the picture, that he was to be nowhere near consideration for an international place anymore. This will have been sore, as Croatia were going through a golden period. Continuing on from the last World Cup, Celtic’s Juranovic was a star with the national side as they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The irony is that a few years back, many would have comfortably predicted that Benkovic would become a key player for Croatia, whilst Juranovic would not even have been a consideration.
Brendan Rodgers may have won a second chance with Celtic in 2023, but Benkovic sadly didn’t. At the age of 27 (2024), at what should have been the peak years for this precious talent, his career appeared to be over.
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Quotes
“At Celtic, I follow what the fans say about me and it makes me happy. They are unbelievable. Everybody in Croatia asks me about the Celtic support but I tell them I can’t describe what it’s like – you have to experience it.”
Filip Benkovic (Dec 2018)
“I came here to get trophies, to be part of it, and to help the team. The least I can do is give everything I have on the pitch.”
Filip Benkovic (Dec 2018)
“For a number of reasons. He was a player who had been playing first-team football and then came to Celtic and he was outstanding. He picked up some injuries, so his availability was disrupted. The loans haven’t worked out well for him. Personally, it hasn’t worked for him. He had issues back home he felt he had to deal with. He had to break the cycle. It wasn’t happening for him, so he needs a fresh start. I hope he can get his career back on track. Hopefully he can go away and have some time to recover. The Premier League is a difficult league to play. Unless you’re right physically and mentally, the Premier League is so difficult.”
Leicester Mercury (2022)
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2018-19 | 17 (3) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 24 (3) |
| Goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Honours with Celtic
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CELTIC’S £13million loan defender Filip Benkovic has revealed how he turned down clubs in Spain, Germany and Italy to move to Glasgow.
But he accepts that parent club Leicester City could yet recall him in January.
The Hoops snapped up the 21-year-old on transfer deadline day just weeks after he had signed for the former Premier League champions from Dynamo Zagreb.
Brendan Rodgers is hoping to be allowed to call on the Croatian Under 21 international for the whole season.
However, Benkovic has revealed he could head south to England in January if Leicester want him back.
But he’s determined to make an impact at Parkhead.
He said: “I was at Leicester for three weeks and it was great. The price tag was nothing to do with me.
“But I didn’t want to spend all season on the bench so I spoke to the manager and told him how much I respect the club, but I want to improve and the only way to do that is to get games.
“I’m young, I need the minutes on the park and the manager agreed with me.
“I want to play as much as possible, so a season-long loan with Celtic was agreed and Leicester has the option of recalling me in the winter.
“There were other loan options – clubs in Italy, Spain and Germany, but I just wanted to go to Celtic.
“I think this is the best option for me for preparing for football in England and their Premier League – that’s why I am delighted to go to Celtic.
“Because Leicester didn’t sell Harry Maguire, I knew this would be what happened to me. Going to Celtic gives me up to a year to adapt to British football so I am looking at this loan very positively.”
And Benkovic insisted he is full of admiration for Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers.
He said: “Brendan Rodgers is a very big name in football. We had a discussion and I am delighted to be working with such a football expert.
“He told me he’s been following my career for a while and it’s great to work with him.
“Celtic are still one of the great names in European football and they have a massive fan base.
“The stadium is always full and they have supporters all over the world. For their fans, Celtic is a way of life. It’s a privilege to be here.
“I think this is a great stage for me. My goal is not to be sitting in the stands, I want to play and I think this was a good decision for me to come here.”
And Benkovic is looking forward to teaming up with an old friend.
He said: “I already know Jozo Simunovic – we played a couple of games together at Dynamo Zagreb.
“I only just broke through into the first team and he was already there.
“I have obviously spoken a lot with him to find out about Celtic.
“Unfortunately, he has an injury just now, but he should be back shortly.
“Who knows? Hopefully, we may have two Croats in the centre of the Celtic defence soon.”
‘I am a Merry Plough Bhoy’ – Benkovic sets Leipzig target for Celtic
https://thecelticstar.com/i-am-a-merry-plough-bhoy-benkovic-sets-leipzig-target-for-celtic/Oct 2018FILIP BENKOVIC fancies himself as a farmer after being inspired by the Scottish countryside that he drives through every morning on his way to Celtic’s training ground at Lennoxtown.
The on loan Croatian defender arrived in Glasgow from his new club Leicester City for a season long loan deal just before the summer transfer window closed and has made a big impression in the games that he has played in.
He was delighted after Celtic’s 4-2 win against Hibs on Saturday and even led a KT style post match celebration in front of the standing section. Yesterday he spoke to the press ahead of Celtic trip to Germany to play RB Leipzig – where Marvin Compper has also got himself some rather controversial media coverage this morning – see HERE.
Getting back to a player who earns his wages, Benkovic gave this rather unusual insight into his own life plans. Here’s what he had to say to the media yesterday.
“I like living in Glasgow because it’s very similar to life in Zagreb,” he began.
“Everything is moving fast. For young people it’s very good — but I don’t have time for all of this!
“What I do like is that on my drive to training I see a lot of farms on the journey.
“Who knows what will happen at the end of my career. Maybe one day I can open my own farm. I have been thinking about that because my family have worked in the countryside.
“I come from Zagreb, but my grandparents come from outside the city. My father grew up in a small village. Sometimes I used to help my grandparents on a farm — but now I’m too busy with my football.
“I don’t know what my team-mates will think about this. I don’t know what Scott Brown will think. Maybe we can get together in this idea for a farm!”
All rather bizarre from the player that Celtic have long admired but when Leicester offered £13.5m it was too rich for the Scottish Champions. A loan deal was the next best option though, as Benkovic explained.
“I knew Celtic had been watching me for a while, and I was happy about that.
“When this loan move was mentioned, I wanted to come. When a club as big as Celtic is interested in you it can only mean you are doing the right things.
“Now I’m finally here I am so proud, and grateful to Celtic for giving me the chance to play here.
“I have settled in very well. The whole squad has accepted me and I am really happy to be here.
“I was in a hotel at first but now I have an apartment, which is much easier for me. My team-mates have assisted me and I thank them for that — Jozo Simunovic has been a big help since my first day.”
Benkovic has started to build a decent on the field partnership with Derrick Boyata, who is also at Celtic for this season before making a move to a richer league. We all know that particular story so we can hopefully enjoy having two high quality central defenders in the team for the moment anyway.
The Leicester City man is happy to watch, listen and learn from the Belgium World Cup star.
“Dedryck plays for the Belgian national team, which shows his quality. Every day in training, I watch his moves and I’ve learned a lot just from that. I file away everything I learn from him in my head.
“Dedryck also gives me advice, just like Jozo and the other players, which is positive.
“Celtic have a good mix of young and experienced players in central defensive positions.
“That means the younger ones like myself have very good energy, while the older professionals bring their knowledge.
“We can have a good season together but it will not be easy.
“There are a lot of good teams so we must work hard every day, we can’t relax in any game, we must push hard all the time.”
Looking ahead to Thursday night in what is expected to be a very tough shift for Celtic, Benkovic is nevertheless optimistic that the defence can hold firm as he targets a clean sheet. He revels in playing European football and wants to get more experience at that level while at Celtic.
“The biggest game I played was against Sevilla or Lyon. I felt good in these games.
“The match I liked most was a 1-0 defeat to Lyon in Zagreb. Yet it’s still a good memory.
“We played very well and games like that can only give you more experience. This is the level I want to get to one day. I was up against Alexandre Lacazette that night against Lyon, it was very hard.
“European football is top for me. These games against teams like Leipzig are special because the players are all playing for their national teams.
“It’s a challenge for us to see where we are, and to try and be competitive.
“We want to compete and to show that to everyone.
“Leipzig played very good football last year, even Bayern Munich could not say it was a certain three points because of the level Leipzig have reached.
“But we can’t go there to give up. We must fight for the 90 minutes and try to get some points.
“It could be our toughest game. But we have one clean sheet against Rosenborg already, why not another?”
Filip Benkovic’s Celtic transfer regret as ex Leicester star reflects on Brendan Rodgers relationship and Hoops stint
The defender spent a year at Parkhead in 2018-19 and helped the club to a famous Treble Treble
Source: @footballscotland
Exclusive interview with Celtic Treble Treble winner Filip Benkovic
Some players have spent years at Celtic without picking up a single piece of silverware.
Fans who lived through the 90s will remember all too well the turmoil at Parkhead as Rangers enjoyed a decade of dominance. In Glasgow, they say the big wheel always spins and it’s now Celtic’s turn to savour one of the most successful eras in the club’s history.
Many stars have come and gone during a golden chapter in the Hoops’ story, where they romped to a second nine-in-a-row triumph and an unprecedented quadruple Treble. Filip Benkovic was one of them, and although the Croatian only spent a season in Glasgow’s east end, it’s fair to say Celtic left a mark on him after picking up three winners’ medals and leaving as a Treble Treble-winner.
“Every person who asks me about my time there, I will say that it’s probably the best year of my football career so far,” Benkovic explains in an exclusive interview with Football Scotland.
“Since the first day at Celtic, I could see how big the club is and everything around the club, the dressing room, everything. It was first class.
“The Treble has to be the highlight, and the sugar on the cake. It’s an honour to be part of that historic result for the club. Sometimes I cannot explain how much I enjoyed being at that club. It was an incredible achievement. It’s a special memory in my career.”
Benkovic joined Celts on loan just three weeks after completing a £13million move to Leicester City from Dinamo Zagreb. The centre-back made a big impact too, featuring heavily during the first half of the campaign and establishing himself as a fans’ favourite. He also starred on the European stage, helping Brendan Rodgers’ side overcome RB Leipzig at Parkhead.
He said: “That was the best [atmosphere] I experienced. 60,000 people, especially on a European night, it’s extra special. You get those goosebumps once you step on the pitch.
“Before the match when you are in the tunnel, it makes you so motivated. You think in your head, this is why you play football. You’ll Never Walk Alone before the game, it’s unbelievable.”
It was a whirlwind beginning for the player, who started in the Betfred Cup Final win over Aberdeen, the first trophy on the way to a third successive Treble. Benkovic even earned his first and only cap for Croatia but suffered an injury setback in January 2019 that would, unfortunately, derail his Parkhead career.
“For me, it was frustrating because I started playing regularly”, he said. “The first half of the season I played so many games. It was a pity, I was angry because I always want to push, push, push and then I injured myself twice and made bigger problems than there should be.
“It was disappointing, but that’s part of football. You have to deal with it and it makes you stronger in the head.”
As Benkovic recovered in the treatment room, boss Rodgers stunned Scottish football by walking out for Leicester City in February 2019. His sudden departure left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Celtic fans, but Benkovic had mixed feelings as the Northern Irishman took over at his parent club.
However, when the stopper was reunited with Rodgers at the King Power Stadium later that summer, things didn’t go as planned and he failed to make a single Premier League appearance.
Benkovic said: “When he left for Leicester, in my mind it was good because I’m coming back probably at the end of the season and he knows me. Everything can be positive and very good for me. But at the end of the season, I had this injury, I was coming back and playing a couple of games [at Celtic].
“Then the international break came, some players said they couldn’t play so I played and pushed too much. I then came to pre-season [at Leicester] injured, so that was my fault at the beginning. I came to pre-season not ready and some of the other guys got a chance and took it.”
Neil Lennon was quickly installed as Rodgers’ replacement as the Northern Irishman returned for a second stint in charge. Benkovic would only make two starts under his new boss, but the 25-year-old shares no hard feelings. Instead, he accepts full accountability.
“It was a good relationship with Neil and also with Brendan, those two are great managers”, he says. “It was just that part when you get some bigger injury, and you push more than you should. I was in that circle where I killed myself.
“I don’t blame any of them, it was just my way of doing some things which I could have handled better. I take all responsibility for that for not playing in those moments, it’s all on me.”
Benkovic eventually signed out of Celtic Park with a Betfred Cup, Premiership title and Scottish Cup all in the bag. And if it was down to him, he would have extended his stay with the Scottish champions for even longer.
He said: “After my year there, for me personally, it was always an option to stay at the club. I felt like it was a home. I think from both sides there was interest to stay there. I know from my side there was.
“You know how it is in football, so many times have to fall together to make something happen. If you ask me back then, I said I wanted to stay there many, many times. But so many other things have to fall between clubs. That’s why football is a special game.”
Plagued by injuries over the last few years, Benkovic’s career trajectory hasn’t exactly taken the path he envisaged. Loan stints at Bristol City, Cardiff and OH Leuven didn’t quite work out, and Rodgers eventually cut ties with the £13m defender in January 2021.
Benkovic quickly found himself a new club by penning a three-and-a-half-year deal with Serie A outfit Udinese. He featured just twice for the Italians, though, before joining 2. Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig on loan last summer.
Here, Benkovic has found happiness and is thankful to the German second-division club for giving him a platform to kickstart his career, after making just 17 appearances over the previous three campaigns. His immediate priority is to help them avoid relegation into the third tier, but what does his long-term future hold? Would a return to Celtic Park one day tickle his fancy?
“Well, you never know in football. From my side, now I’m here in Germany and I’m enjoying playing football for this club,” he said. “This club gave me an opportunity to be playing again, I’m so grateful for them to believe in me because not many clubs did last summer because I hadn’t played for two years.
“First of all I want to focus on the remaining games and to give everything and try to help the team as much as I can on and off the pitch. I want to push the team with talking and bringing them the belief that we’re a good team.
“Also challenging myself to help outside football as well, on and off the pitch. That’s my plan to give everything here and then we’ll see after that.”
While the prospect of Benkovic pulling on the green and white hoops again is a long way off, the Treble Treble-winner still watches on from afar and will be supporting Ange Postecoglou’s team in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers, where a win would put them on the brink of a world record eighth domestic clean sweep.
He added: “I’ve watched a couple of games. I think the team is doing very well. They are playing very aggressive and attacking football. The atmosphere around the club and everything between the fans and the team is positive which is very important to make a good result in the season.
“I’m hoping that they are going to win all three, the big three trophies. I’m going to watch it for sure and support it as always.”