Profile: Decoding NorthEast United's attacking lynchpin Tomi Juric

Tomi Juric has set the ISL on fire after his arrival.

A few weeks back, Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United had announced the arrival of their latest Aussie import Tomi Juric to replace the outgoing Brazilian Ibson Melo. Juric has already hit the ground running for the Guwahati-based side.

The man from down under seems to be enjoying life in the ISL and has shown great signs of what he brings to the table. Juric has scored four times in three matches for the Highlanders and is already their top scorer in the 2023-24 ISL season.

On that note, let us take a look at the player’s profile and how he can help NorthEast United move forward.

Prior Experience

Tomi Juric, a former Australia international, belongs to Croatian descent. He began his journey with the youth side of Hurstville Zagreb FC, an Australian side of Croatian heritage. He was also a part of Sydney Olympic and Sydney United before joining Croatian side Trnje in 2008.

He was then recruited by the youth team of Croatia Sesvete before being promoted to their first team in 2010. He scored 12 goals in 24 appearances before the club dissolved. Juric then joined another Zagreb-based side Lokomotiva and scored three goals in 14 appearances. 

His final stint in Croatia was with Inter Zapresic in 2012-13 where he managed to score one goal in 12 games. In 2013, he moved to A-League side Adelaide United and netted twice in seven outings, including a goal on his debut.

And then in the summer of 2013, Juric made a move to Western Sydney Wanderers on a two-year deal. He scored 12 goals for the Wanderers, including an iconic goal in the 2014 AFC Champions League. The 32-year-old was also a part of Australia’s squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

He scored a goal in the match against Oman before setting up a goal for James Troisi and helped Australia lift the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Juric was later signed by Eredivisie side Roda JC, for whom he scored four goals in 17 matches. 

In 2016, he was brought in by Swiss side FC Luzern where he spent almost three years and scored 15 times in 64 appearances. Following his departure from the Swiss outfit, he enjoyed a brief stint with Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.

In 2020, he moved back to Australia and re-joined Adelaide United where he scored nine goals in 18 games. And just before joining NorthEast United, he plied his trade for Macarthur FC and Melbourne Victory from 2021 to 2023.

Type of Player

Tomi Juric is known for his finishing skills in front of goal. He is a poacher and always has an eye for goal. He doesn’t hesitate to test the keeper from a long way out and has a very good conversion rate from long rangers. The former Socceroos international is both footed and can make the best out of this ability with ease. 

Standing tall at 6.3 ft, Juric is a monster in the air and has a very strong physical presence which helps him stand his ground against hefty defenders. He is a keen dribbler and even at 32, he has got a lot of pace. Juric also drops down to press the opponents and help his teammates. 

He knows how to be at the right place at the right time. He is an impact player and has scored wherever he has played, including a goal on his debut for a lot of clubs. Tomi scores a lot of headers and worldies. The striker has also scored for Australia against Germany and Japan, and therefore knows how to handle pressure at the top level. 

What will he bring to the team?

Tomi Juric is a tailor-made fit for NorthEast United. He has already scored four times for the Highlanders and is their top scorer in the ISL this season. NorthEast United had struggled to bring in a goal-scoring striker in the last couple of seasons and Juric is the solution to all their problems. 

The inclusion of Juric has made life easier for Nestor Albiach who is now able to put up the best version of him. Nestor has already provided two assists to his Australian colleague and their partnership is expected to get even better in the days to come. 

Juric comes in with a winning mentality having won the 2014 AFC Champions League and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. His experience and inputs will be beneficial for the youngsters at the club. Moreover, he became only the third NorthEast United player to score three or more goals in his first three games, alongside Bartholomew Ogbeche and Deshorn Brown.

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