'Peky' primed for Wolfsburg adventure

After becoming the third MŠK Žilina player to earn a move to Germany in recent years, Peter Pekarík is now looking forward to his new challenge, saying: "It was my childhood dream to play in the Bundesliga."

Production line
UEFA Cup contenders VfL Wolfsburg had to fight off competition from BV Borussia Dortmund, DSC Arminia Bielefeld and Hannover 96 to secure the signature of the highly-rated attacking right-back who they bought for a reported €1.5m. He follows former Žilina forwards Stanislav Šesták, who moved to VfL Bochum 1848 two years ago, and Marek Mintál, signed by 1. FC Nurnberg in 2003.

All parties happy
Pekarík played 111 league games for the Slovakian club – scoring five goals – and leaves them second in the Superliga, four points behind ŠK Slovan Bratislava. With Žilina also losing striker Peter Štyvar to English second-tier club Bristol City FC, the prospect of regaining the title they last won in 2006/07 has dimmed but the club's sporting director, Karol Belaník, took a philosophical view. "Peter did very well for us," he said. "He deserves to a big league like the Bundesliga and to tell the truth, this is a good deal for us as well."

Breakthrough
For Pekarík, whose idols as a boy included legendary full-backs Cafú and Paolo Maldini, the move has come at the right time. "I believe this is the right step for me," said 'Peky'. The 22-year-old has had a breakthrough year both with the national side and Žilina, who he helped reach the UEFA Cup group stage for the first time. Despite not qualifying from their section, the campaign ended with an impressive 2-1 victory at Aston Villa FC. "Alongside having the chance to play for Slovakia and helping them defeat a strong Poland side, the sensational win at Villa Park was one of the happiest days of my life. I need to be satisfied with how the season's gone."

New challenge
However, the six-times capped international knows he will have to fight hard to gain a starting spot at Wolfsburg. "First of all, I am happy to get a chance at a club who are playing at such a high level. I try to think positively and am ready for hard work." His chance may come along soon, if his new coach's optimism is anything to go by. "Despite his age, he has been involved in a substantial number of league games and managed to play his way into the national team," said Felix Magath. "He is extremely talented and I am quite sure that he will develop further in the Bundesliga."