Football agent Amil Šukalo believes Serbian striker Dejan Vidić can make an impact for Irtysh in Kazakhstan, provided the team plays to his strengths.
Irtysh have signed the 32-year-old centre-forward, who spent the previous three seasons with Sloga Doboj.
“I know him very well as a player. He spent the last three seasons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, playing in the Bosnian Premier League. When he arrived there three years ago, he immediately attracted attention by scoring a lot of goals. At that time, several clubs showed serious interest in him, and honestly, I am not sure why he did not make a move then,” Šukalo told Eurasia Football.
According to the agent, Vidić’s form and statistics later began to decline, but the experienced striker can still cause serious problems for opposing defences.
“When he is in good form, he can trouble any defence. He is at his most dangerous when he receives quality crosses from wide areas,” Šukalo said.
He stressed that Vidić is not the type of forward who regularly decides matches through individual skill.
“He is not a player who can make a major difference in one-on-one situations. Realistically, he has also rarely managed to maintain consistency over a long period,” Šukalo added.
In his view, Vidić’s impact in Kazakhstan will largely depend on Irtysh’s style of play.
“I think he can help the team if the system suits him, especially if he has good wide players around him who can deliver quality balls into the box. If the team mainly plays direct passes into space, it will be difficult for him to have a significant influence on the game,” Šukalo explained.
Šukalo admitted that two seasons ago he would have been more confident about Vidić’s long-term contribution, but believes a change of environment could restore his motivation.
“If he had made this move two seasons ago, I would have had more confidence in what he could offer over the long term. But football is unpredictable. One thing he has shown is that he is often at his most motivated and effective immediately after joining a new club,” Šukalo concluded.
Irtysh Battling Relegation
Irtysh are playing their first season back in the Kazakhstan Premier League and currently sit at the bottom of the table.
The Pavlodar club have collected 10 points from 15 matches, with one win, seven draws and seven defeats. Irtysh have scored 14 goals and conceded 21, meaning Vidić is expected to strengthen the attack in their battle to avoid relegation.
Dejan Vidić’s Career
Dejan Vidić was born on 10 August 1993 and stands 197 centimetres tall.
During his career, he has played for Zlatibor, Zemun, Grafičar, Napredak and IMT. He was also on the books of Red Star Belgrade but did not make a first-team appearance and was sent out on loan.
In the summer of 2023, he joined Sloga Doboj. In his first season in the Bosnian Premier League, he emerged as one of the breakout players of the season, scoring 16 goals in 22 league appearances.
His scoring output declined in the following seasons, and in the 2025/26 campaign he scored twice in 33 appearances across all competitions.
In July 2026, Vidić signed for Irtysh Pavlodar. His contract with the Kazakh club runs until the end of the year.