Shaun Pejic

Football player infobox
playername = Shaun Pejic


fullname = Shaun Melvyn Pejic
nickname =
height = height|ft=6|in=0
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|11|16
cityofbirth = Hereford
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Wrexham
clubnumber = 20
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2000-
clubs = Wrexham
caps(goals) = 174 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Wales U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 006 (0)
pcupdate = 15:55, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 21:24, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Shaun Melvyn Pejic (born 16 November 1982 in Hereford, England) is a professional footballer who plays in defence for Wrexham. He is eligible to play for Wales through a Welsh grandmother and is a former Welsh U-21 international. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/1884262.stm|title=Shoulder's search for new talent|date=2002-03-20|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10]

Career

Pejic, whose father, Mel Pejic, is a former player and current physiotherapist for Wrexham and Wales, and whose uncle, Mike Pejic, is also a former footballer, began his career as a trainee at Wrexham in 2000.cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199|title=Shaun Pejic |work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] He made his debut in a 1-1 draw at Port Vale in April 2001. [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199&seasonid=130|title=Games played by Shaun Pejic in 2000/2001|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] He broke into the first team squad in February 2002, making 12 appearances for Wrexham in the remainder of the 2001–02 season. [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199&seasonid=131|title=Games played by Shaun Pejic in 2001/2002|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] He made 32 appearances in the 2002–03 season, [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199&seasonid=132|title=Games played by Shaun Pejic in 2002/2003|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] helping Wrexham to promotion to Division Two and to win the FAW Premier Cup. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/3006821.stm|title=Cup crowns Wrexham season|date=2003-05-08|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10] A hairline fracture of his leg ended his 2003–04 season early after he had made 23 appearances. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/3652567.stm|title=Pejic injury return delayed|date=2004-04-23|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10] [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199&seasonid=133| title=Games played by Shaun Pejic in 2003/2004|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] He signed a new two-year contract in May 2004. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/3760367.stm|title=Pejic commits to Wrexham|date=2004-05-29|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10]

Pejic impressed in a 3–2 win at Notts County in September 2004, leading manager Denis Smith to say of him, "Our young central three haven't played together much, but Pejic was immense again, his defensive header in the last minute was worth a goal. He's come on again this season - that's good as we are expecting boys to do men's jobs." [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/3698926.stm|title=Smith lauds Pejic|date=2004-09-30|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10] He made 44 appearances in the 2004–05 season, [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199&seasonid=134|title=Games played by Shaun Pejic in 2004/2005|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] which saw Wrexham go into administration and relegated to Football League Two. [cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/4512723.stm| title=Smith fearing for Wrexham future |date=2005-05-04|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10] Pejic missed four months of the 2005–06 season after tearing cruciate knee ligaments in August 2005 [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/4179532.stm|title=Better news for Wrexham's Pejic |date=2005-08-24|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10] but returned in January 2006, helping Wrexham to the final of the FAW Premier Cup for the second year in succession. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/4852666.stm|title=Wrexham 1-2 Swansea|date=2006-03-29|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10] He agreed to a 12-month extension to his contract in June 2006. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/5133652.stm|title=Wrexham sign Llewellyn and Pejic |date=2006-06-30|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-10]

Pejic formed a good partnership at centre-back with Steve Evans in the 2006–07 season with manager Denis Smith saying after beating Scunthorpe in December 2006, "Scunthorpe have got two of the best strikers outside the Championship and my two centre-backs kept them quiet, they are starting to perform consistently as a pair, so that's good." [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/6204108.stm|title=Smith hails Wrexham defensive duo |date=2006-12-03|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-11] He made 37 appearances as Wrexham avoided relegation to the Football Conference on the final day of the season [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6626177.stm|title=Wrexham joy at relegation escape |date=2007-05-05|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-11] and signed a new two-year contract a month later. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/6232236.stm|title=Pejic commits future to Wrexham|date=2007-06-22|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-11] He made 22 appearances in the 2007–08 season as Wrexham were relegated to the Football Conference. [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24199&seasonid=137|title=Games played by Shaun Pejic in 2007/2008|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-10] [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/7357790.stm|title=Wrexham go out of Football League |date=2008-04-22|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-11]

Statistics

References

External links

*soccerbase|24199|Shaun Pejic