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24th December 2024
Dundee United are delighted to announce the signing of North Macedonian international David Babunski from Mezokövesdi Sport Egyesület on a one-year deal, with a club-held option of a second.
Despite being born in Skopje, the midfielder headed for Catalonia to begin his footballing journey with the world’s most prestigious academy - La Masia of FC Barcelona.
Seven formative years sharing the stage with future stars such as Alejandro Grimaldo, Gerard Deulofeu and Adama Traoré preceded his step into senior football with the club’s B team jousting at the top end of the Spanish second tier. He carved out a regular starting spot for himself throughout the subsequent three league campaigns, whilst also being frequently capped for his country at U21 level.
The curtain fell on his decade-long association with La Blaugrana in January 2016, with his services ultimately secured by Balkan powerhouses Red Star Belgrade. A short stay in Serbia brought the first taste of silverware of his career - part of the squad which brought an historic 27th SuperLiga title back to the Rajko Mitic Stadium.
This triumph led to a Europa League Qualifying clash with Italian outfit Sassuolo, in which Babunski made a brief cameo off the bench.
Upon his Red Star departure, he then had the opportunity to work under future Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur boss, Ange Postecoglou, during an enlightening spell in Japan with Yokohama F Marinos and latterly Omija Ardiya, before returning to Eastern Europe to briefly ply his trade in Romania.
Settling in Hungary after the COVID-19 Pandemic, he starred for Debrecen alongside his brother, Dorian, making 24 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign as they retained their top-flight status.
A stellar year with DVSC brought numerous suitors, one being Merkantil Bank Liga rivals Mezokövesdi Sport Egyesület, where the 30-year-old turned out 47 times across two terms until receiving the call from the Terrors this summer.
On the international stage, our new number ten has made 15 senior appearances. His competitive debut came against a Scotland side that featured Scottish Cup-winning hero, Craig Conway, in the matchday squad, as the nations battled for a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Still a familiar face with the national team ten years on, Babunski’s most recent showing in red and yellow was at Wembley in June 2023.
He becomes just the second North Macedonian to pull on a tangerine jersey, following the capture of fellow countryman Kristijan Trapanovski earlier in the window, and is eligible to feature in this evening's Premier Sports Cup Group B clash with Stenhousemuir.
UNQUESTIONABLE PEDIGREE
“David’s pedigree is unquestionable, having enjoyed a footballing education second to none with Barcelona", began United boss Jim Goodwin when queried on the ins and outs of the deal.
"His subsequent career has demonstrated both his versatility to adapt to several different cultures, on and off the park, and his quality to remain at the top level.
“He’s a player we’ve had on our radar for an extended period of time, so to introduce him to the training group was extremely gratifying. During the session, he reaffirmed the reasons why we brought him to the club immediately, showing an immense level of technical ability and desire to impress.
"I’m delighted to have him as part of the squad and eagerly anticipate his positive impact on the squad as a whole.”
WE HAVE TO BELIEVE WE CAN DO SOMETHING SPECIAL
Babunski himself added "I’m deeply grateful for the trust the club has placed in me. I was patiently waiting for this to be finalised, and delayed the response to other offers in the process because I’ve been eagerly awaiting an opportunity such as this.
"Coming to a country where the football culture is massive and the standard of the league is high are some of the things that enticed me, and I can already feel the magnitude of the club.
He concluded: "It’s going to be a great challenge for me - the expectations for this season are high, as they should be, and we have to believe we can do something special."
