Mike Pejic (born on January 25, 1950 in Chesterton, Staffordshire

Chesterton, Staffordshire

Chesterton is a small, former mining village, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It sits near the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme....

), is a retired English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

-Serbian footballer. His father was Serbian and his mother was English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

.

Career

His playing career in what was then the Football League First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 (same level now as the FA Premier League

FA Premier League

The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

) commenced in the 1968-69 season

1968-69 in English football

The 1968–69 season was the 89th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...

 and lasted until the 1979 campaign. He also held coaching and managing positions upon retiring.

As a defender, Pejic played for Stoke City

Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

, Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 and Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C.

Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

. He had eight caps playing for England's U-23 squad and four more caps with the full England side

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 in 1974. He was famously dropped by new caretaker England manager Joe Mercer

Joe Mercer

Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...

 in favour of Alec Lindsay

Alec Lindsay

Alexander 'Alec' Lindsay was a strong full back who played in The Football League for Bury, Liverpool and Stoke City.-Life and playing career:...

 because he "didn't smile enough".

He managed Leek Town

Leek Town F.C.

Leek Town Football Club is an English football club based in Leek, Staffordshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South...

 until 1985 when he resigned to take over as manager of Northwich Victoria

Northwich Victoria F.C.

Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...

. He was appointed youth coach at Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 in July 1986, being promoted to first team coach in December 1987. He was sacked in March 1992, twelve months later an employment tribunal ruled that he had been unfairly dismissed and Vale were forced to pay a four-figure compensation sum.

Pejic was named Chester City F.C.

Chester City F.C.

Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

 manager in June 1994 after the shock resignation of Graham Barrow

Graham Barrow

Graham Barrow is an English former footballer who has since become a lower division manager. He is currently part of the coaching staff at Premier League side Wigan Athletic, where he has previously been both a player and manager.-Barrow the Player:Barrow first entered the Football League at the...

. Unfortunately he inherited a very bare side after the loss of several key players, and an immediate relegation back to Division 3

Football League Third Division

The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

 was inevitable after the side began the season without a point from their first seven games. Pejic was sacked in January 1995 after a 4-0 home thrashing by York City. He later had a spell managing non-league side Leek Town.

He went on to be the regional director for the North East FA and has coached such stars as Jermain Defoe

Jermain Defoe

Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....

, Aaron Lennon

Aaron Lennon

Aaron Justin Lennon is an English footballer who plays as a right winger for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and the England national team.-Early life:...

 and Stewart Downing

Stewart Downing

Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Primarily a winger, Downing has previously played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.-Middlesbrough:...

. He then taught FA coaching courses at NWHC in Nuneaton

Nuneaton

Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...

. In 1999 he managed Malaysian side Selangor FA

Selangor FA

The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...

.

In February 2007, he became Head of Youth Coaching at Championship

Football League Championship

The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 side Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle F.C.

Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

.
In June 2010 he left Argyle to take up a similar position at Ipswich Town.

Mike's younger brother, Mel

Mel Pejic

Mel Pejic is a former footballer and current physiotherapist of Bolton Wanderers and the Wales national football team...

, played for Stoke City, Hereford United

Hereford United F.C.

Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

 and Wrexham

Wrexham A.F.C.

Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...

. Shaun Pejic

Shaun Pejic

Shaun Melvyn Pejic is a footballer who plays as a defender for Bangor City. Born in England, he has represented Wales at under-21 level.-Club career:...

, the son of Mel and nephew of Mike, currently plays for C.P. Baltimore and was on the U-21 team of Wales

Wales national football team

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

.

On 14 November 2010 Mike Pejic was suspended from Ipswich Town.

Honours

• Football League Cup
  Football League Cup
  The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
  
  Winner 1972 (Stoke City)
• Football League Cup Runner Up 1977 (Everton)