Being the nephew of “Bosnia’s greatest player of all time,” as proclaimed by UEFA, carries a certain degree of weight. Tino Sven Susic struggled with it for most of his young career. When his uncle, Safet Susic, called the midfielder up to the Bosnian national team, that weight doubled overnight, as fans proclaimed him a “nobody,” and accused the elder Susic of blatant nepotism. Despite the negativity surrounding the young Susic, he did something nobody expected, played well. So well in fact, that many thought he was the standout in his first match for Bosnia, a friendly loss against Egypt in Austria.
While the other players looked disinterested, slugging and content, Susic looked full of energy, hungry, and determined. On the club level, he came through the various youth sides in Belgium’s Jupiler League. Playing several matches for the senior Standard Liege, he was once again questioned, and rejected. In 2012, the younger Susic moved to Hajduk Split, one of Croatia’s historic clubs. It proved to be the right move, for both sides.
Since moving to Hajduk Split back in June 2012, Susic has established himself as not only a starter, but arguably the club’s best player. Alternating between attacking midfield, winger, and defensive midfield, Susic has most excelled at the defensive midfield role, using his powerful physique to muscle attackers off of the ball and retain control. For a defensive midfielder, Susic has the intelligence of a playmaker, and the technical skill and passing level of a central midfielder. A hybrid of sorts, for the national team, he has also been utilized all over the midfield, but being most effective as a defensive midfielder.
Before he arrived to Croatia, Susic was raw. He had plenty of talent, everybody recognized that, despite the weight of the name he carried on his back. During his time at Hajduk though, Susic has matured and developed into a player that understands the game and rises to the occasion. Most recently, Susic was voted into the Croatian Team of the Half Season. For Bosnia-Herzegovina, Susic played with heart and passion, more than can be said of certain other players.
To sweeten the deal for Inter fans, the player is an actual Inter fan, citing Ronaldo and Zidane as his inspirations. For him, Inter is a dream move. Nobody can say for certain what the ultimate ceiling is for this 22-year-old midfielder, but his worth ethic has proven to be his strongest feature and Inter Milan fans, most of all, should appreciate a “tractor,” in their ranks.