Skip to content

Ex-Stoke City player, 76, in taekwondo title bid

Alex McIntyre,West Midlandsand
Lee Blakeman,BBC Radio Stoke
News imageMike Pejic Mike Pejic, an older man with long brown hair and wearing a yellow martial arts outfit, with a medal around his neck, smiles as he stands with a large union flag around his shoulders. Other martial artists can be seen behind him.Mike Pejic
Former Stoke City defender Mike Pejic won the Taekwondo European title in 2019

A 76-year-old former Stoke City and England footballer is getting ready to represent Great Britain at taekwondo world championships.

Mike Pejic, who helped The Potters win the 1972 League Cup, will be part of the 34-strong team heading to the 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in South Korea in September.

The ex-defender has previously won a European title in the sport and will be competing in the over-60s pairs and teams categories.

"Competing at any level of any sport does get to you and when you're successful, it has a massive effect on you," he said adding that at his age maintaining fitness levels gets harder.

Chesterton-born Pejic highlighted the tough training regime team members have to go through, with a seven-hour session taking place this coming weekend.

"Before that, you've obviously got to maintain your own fitness level," he said.

News imageMike Pejic Mike Pejic has long brown hair and is wearing a yellow martial arts top and black trousers. He is standing side-on in a taekwondo stance with his left arm raised up and right arm by his stomach.Mike Pejic
Mike Pejic said he took up taekwondo while he was coaching football in Kuwait

"At my age, it does get harder but you have to keep at it and you have to maintain your level of performance as well. Your fitness levels have to be right up there."

Pejic made 274 appearances for Stoke City during the 60s and 70s, before spells at Everton and Aston Villa.

He also played for England four times before moving into football management, taking up taekwondo in 1993 while coaching in Kuwait.

After trying many different types of martial arts he said he found taekwondo the most enjoyable and more suited to a former footballer.

News imageGetty Images A black and white photograph of an old Stoke City FC team pictured on the pitch in a stadium. There is a line of players standing at the back with their arms folded and a line at the front either sitting on chairs or kneeling on the ground.Getty Images
Mike Pejic, pictured on the far left of the back row, made more than 270 appearances for Stoke City

A number of years later, he began competing in age categories for his country, which culminated in him winning the over-65s taekwondo European championship in April 2019.

One of his greatest disappointments was losing a previous world championship bout in Peru, back in 2016, which he said still hurts him to this day.

Asked what he thought of the support he has received from fans over the years, he said: "You don't realise what effect you do have on people.

"You just keep going and hopefully keep achieving."

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More stories like this
Related internet links