Bengaluru FC veteran defender Aleksander Jovanovic wants to finish his career on a high by lifting the Indian Super League trophy. The Australian has already announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of this season.

The Blues will take on FC Goa in the first leg of the semifinal at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday. Gerard Zaragoza’s team claimed a thumping 5-0 win against Mumbai City FC in the first knockout game while playing at home on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Jovanovic started his football career with Parramatta and played in countries like Serbia, Thailand, South Korea, and China. The Australian has played more than 230 matches in his career and has all the experience under his belt.

“It’s been in the back of my head for quite a while. Like, sort of the older you get, it starts to play with you a little bit. But as they say, all good things come to an end. It just feels like the time is right now to spend with my family and look to the future,” Aleksandar Jovanovic said as quoted by the official ISL website.

The defender reflected on his career and shared delight that he was able to make a living out of football.

“Yeah, as a kid, you know, at first you start off playing for fun and you don’t know where it’s going to take you. But yeah, I am very grateful for what football has done for me. To be able to provide for my family,” he shared.

The Australian said being a professional footballer comes at a price as he had to make sacrifices of not being with his family during the crucial moments.

“The perception of being a footballer is like, just kick a ball and get paid big money, which obviously is not the reality. Yeah, for sure, you are missing out on all the family events and whatnot. I missed out on the birth of my first child. But all that comes with the sacrifice,” he stated.

Jovanovic would look to be at his best against FC Goa in the first leg of the semifinal.