Matej Deket is a 16-year-old striker/attacking midfielder who plays for Borac Banja Luka, with whom he won the championship last season. He played in a total of 21 matches and managed to score 5 times. Deket has played for many youth teams in Bosnia, where he has shown good matches and numbers. He even played two games for the U21 of Bosnia last season, a big step for a 16-year-old.

Deket stands at 1.85 m and is a genuinely strong, well-built player for his age. He really is a strong player for his age, 16 years old. In a competition where many big, strong and perhaps lumbering players predominate, Deket really excels. Despite his strong build, Deket is very fast and that is what makes him so interesting in combination with a good first touch that is really strong. Deket is strong on the ball, with good control over the ball. Deket’s short passing is also strong. Because Deket runs a lot with and without the ball, his stamina is certainly still a point to improve, but since he is only 16, I definitely think this will improve. Next season he can play more full games and build this. Deket is left-footed and could still improve in the use of his right leg, which he often uses, but his ball control can be inconsistent with his right.

Offensively, Deket is really a player with creativity and vision. Always looking for the ball forward, and he often manages to give that through ball well. What I like about Deket is his way of turning when he doesn’t see the opportunity in a through ball, but chooses to shift the game. That vision and creativity are pure talent. Deket always provides depth with nice deep runs, even when he doesn’t have the ball, and shows a really strong work ethic. He often provides attacking moments. His scoring ability is high because he really makes timed runs; 5 goals last season at the highest level in Bosnia is great with almost only substitute appearances. Also in the youth, for both Bosnia and Banja Luka, where he was often really the best, Deket provided a lot of scoring power. An area for improvement for Deket is that he can sometimes be a bit impatient on the ball and needs to build more patience into his game, for example in his long passing.

Defensively, Deket also shows really good qualities. With good interceptions, which he executes with full dedication, he is also of value defensively. In aerial duels, Deket is also strong because of his strong build and height. Again, he is only 16. Deket is also not afraid of making tackles. Alongside this, he also shows his hard work ability. His pressing is especially strong for the team. With the right way of anticipating the behavior of defenders, he shows a lot of class and can intercept many balls.

Overall, Deket is really a player to keep an eye on. With his creativity, vision, and ball control, in combination with his age, speed, and physically strong body, I see a bright future for Deket. If he continues to develop the use of both legs and his impatient thinking on the ball, I can see him at the highest level. I really see clubs like AZ or Köln coming for him, although I do think it would be better for him to play more minutes in Bosnia next season for Banja Luka to grow even more as a player.