‘Not thinking about Croatia selection, only about Sporting Gijon’

Gijon (Spain), March 9: Croat Alen Halilovic, on loan from Barcelona to Sporting Gijon, has said that he does not think about his national selection but saving the La Liga club after the decision to include him in the selection for two international football friendlies this month.

"I was called for the selection and it is something I have to thank Sporting for, coaches and peers. Thanks to them I'm in the first team of Croatia," Efe quoted Halilovic as saying on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old acknowledged that the call made him very excited but right now he is focused on trying to keep Sporting in La Liga, a very difficult objective given the progress of the team in recent days.

The call came for the attacking midfielder to the national team at a time when Abelardo, the Sporting coach, stopped depending on him as a starter.