Matija Šarkić, was a goalkeeper who appeared as an unused substitute for Villa on 13 occasions between Saturday, 3 December 2016 and Tuesday, 28 January 2020

Šarkić was born in Grimsby on 23 July 1997 but qualified for Montenegro through his Montenegrin father.

Šarkić had been signed from RSC Anderlecht 🇧🇪 in September 2015 as an 18-year-old and joined Villa’s youth set up. By December 2016, Šarkić had already made three Championship unused substitute appearances as cover for Pierluigi Gollini and, after the latter had left the club, Šarkić made a further unused substitute appearance in 2016-17 as cover for Sam Johnstone in the 1-1 draw with Burton Albion on Saturday, 8 April 2017.

The following season, Steve Bruce sent Šarkić out on loan to Wigan Athletic from August 2017 to January 2018. On his return, Šarkić would make just one further squad appearance, as cover for fellow reserve keeper Mark Bunn in the final Championship game of the season on Sunday, 6 May 2018.

During Villa’s successful promotion campaign of 2018-19, Matija was again sent out on loan, initially to Stratford Town for a short spell between 20 December 2018 and 13 January 2019, before a brief emergency loan at Havant & Waterlooville FC from 26 March 2019 to 29 March 2019. On his return, Šarkić would immediately make his first squad appearance of the season on Saturday, 30 March 2019 and would feature in the squad for seven consecutive Championship fixtures as cover for Jed Steer as Villa went on a record run of 10 consecutive League wins.

Following Villa’s play-off victory and return to the Premier League, Šarkić was once again sent out on loan, this time to Livingston, where he cemented himself as a first-team regular for the Scottish outfit.

Back at Villa however, injuries to Jed Steer and new Villa number one Tom Heaton, led Dean Smith to recall Šarkić from his loan spell - much to the player’s frustration - and he was utilised as an unused substitute for the final time on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 in the EFL Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg win over Leicester City as cover for Ørjan Nyland.

Šarkić was released by Villa in July 2020 without making a senior appearance for the club. He would move on to Wolverhampton Wanderers and a series of loans before signing permanently for Millwall.

Šarkić tragically died in June 2024, aged just 26, whilst on international duty in Budva, Montenegro, from sudden heart failure despite the efforts of former Villa team-mate Oscar Borg and their partners to resuscitate him. Millwall duly retired the number 20 shirt in his honour.