The end of Year 12 and the stressful VCE exam period has come as a welcome relief for thousands of 17 and 18-year-olds across the state. The transition period, which now awaits them from secondary school to tertiary education and or the work life, leaves many of them with an ample amount of free time to explore endeavours which had previously been out of reach.
It’s an exciting time for all, especially for many of the state’s footballers, who now have more time than ever to prepare themselves for the upcoming football season as they look to get their fitness levels back up.
Many footballers of that age use the freedom and opportunity offered to them by heading overseas to try their luck in different lands and immerse themselves with a different football culture. 18 year-old Melbourne youngster Chris Kaev has decided to take up that route by joining 10-time Macedonian Champions Vardar Skopje. While the move may be considered obscure by some, it is one which has been three years in the making for the McKinnon Secondary College graduate.
“Three years ago I was on holiday in Macedonia and during my time here I took the opportunity to keep my skills sharp and continue to train,” Kaev said.
“I was noticed during that time and invited back the following year to continue to train and play for the U17 Macedonia national team. During the latter part of my stay, I had also started to train with the current goalkeeper coach of Vardar. Given I finished VCE just under a month ago, I decided to come back here ready to see how far I can go,” he added.
An unknown to many, Kaev had until recently spent the majority of youth club career at NPL clubs before making the move down to the state leagues in order to supplement his studies which took priority for him this year.
“I’ve played at a few clubs during my junior years, mostly at the Oakleigh Cannons where I stayed up until U15. I then moved to Port Melbourne U16s and then South Melbourne U18. This year I took a break from the vigorous NPL schedule to focus on VCE, which landed me locally at Caulfield Cobras Reserves.”
While he spent the campaign playing the role of an understudy at the promoted State League Two outfit, Kaev believes the experience will have him in good shape for what’s to come in the Macedonian capital.
“Even though on paper it was a step down the divisions, there was still a difference between junior and senior football to be learnt, which I hope puts me in line for what’s to follow.”
At the time of writing, Kaev was about to head off to training with the Vardar 20s, who were recently eliminated from European competition at youth level by Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg.
However, his previous stint in Skopje has him in good stead of what to expect at the picturesque surrounds of the Telekom Arena, with the venue also set to host next season’s edition of the UEFA Super Cup.
“I was part of the U17 set up when I was last here, so I know some of the ins and outs of day-to-day life. However, I’m unaware of the professionalism jump, the next step to say. Nonetheless it’s exciting to wonder how far I will go in my development and whether or not I could ever make it as a professional.”
Despite this optimism, Kaev also remains grounded and pragmatic about the realities ahead and admits the chance to play for Macedonia’s biggest club was an opportunity he needed to grasp, especially considering the lack of professional opportunities on offer back home in Australia.
“I’ve come to Macedonia as I feel I can learn to the highest level available. It may not be as glamorous as a country as Australia, however It’s clear to me that what it offered to me here far surpasses what I could get back home.
“Of course a professional career in football is ideal, however to what level and where I can’t be sure about. At the least, I will have given it a try.
“I’m fully aware that such a career isn’t for everybody, which is primarily the reason I finished high school in Melbourne. Hopefully, however, you can see my name in the papers soon as I continue my football career here.”
With a production line including the likes of former European Golden Boot winner Darko Pancev and Macedonian football royalty such as Vasil Ringov, Toni Savevski and former Socceroo Zarko Odzakov to name a few, Kaev is now at a club with a decorated history and is eager to grasp the opportunity with both hands as he takes a road less travelled in his pursuit of forging a professional career in the heart of the Balkans, a long way from home and the suburban surrounds of McKinnon.