El Paso, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC announced Friday that the club has signed Bens Pavkovic for the upcoming 2023 USL Championship season. This transaction is pending league and federation approval.
“We’re thrilled to have a central back like Pavkovic coming from Hungary’s top league,” said El Paso head coach and technical director Brian Krahout. “He has the attributes we are looking for: very athletic, fast and handles the ball. I believe we can give
The 25-year-old last played for Debreceni VSC, who are currently competing in the first tier of Hungarian professional football, Nemzeti Baynoksag I. He initially joined the club on loan for the 2018/19 season, but has since been fully contracted. After establishing himself as a key player, he signed a contract. That season the club finished fourth in the league and qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2019/20 Europa League.
Additionally, in his first season with the club, Pavkovic contributed to the team’s deep run in the Magyar Kupa, Hungary’s annual cup competition open to all clubs across the country. The club reached the semi-finals where the eventual champions lost to MOL Fehervar FC.
In the 2019/20 Europa League qualifiers, Pavković played in all four matches but lost in the second round to Italy’s Serie A side Torino.
However, in the 2019/20 regular season the club hit a rough patch and were eventually relegated to the second division. Still, Pavković won his title in the 2020/21 league, securing promotion to the top division and helping the team to top spot with Nemzeti’s Binoksag II.
In all competitions with Debreceni, Pavković made 118 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing three assists. Before Debreceni, from 2015 until 2018 he played for Ujpest FC, where he made 43 appearances for the club, bringing home Magyar Kupa.He was a member of the team in 2017/18. .
