Zdravko Gavrić lived in Novi Bečej under an assumed name, Zdravko Radosavljević, as he had escaped arrest by the Hungarian authorities in Stari Bečej, which was under Hungarian occupation at the time.
He appeared as the goalkeeper for Zvezda during the period when the club had its strongest team — practically a Banat regional all-star lineup. The team included some of the best players from Kikinda, Pančevo, and Zrenjanin, which demanded a capable and reliable goalkeeper.
At that time, Zvezda already had an excellent goalkeeper, Veselin Marčić, so there was often a dilemma about who should start in goal for upcoming matches. Zdravko was perhaps slightly ahead of Marčić, but Marčić, due to his agricultural work, was more frequently on the field. Zdravko, on the other hand, trained more diligently and was fully committed to his role as a goalkeeper.
As a goalkeeper, he was calm and composed. He would rush out only when necessary and was very reliable on the goal line. Although he did not have the height typical of modern goalkeepers, he compensated with excellent leaps and was equally confident in handling both high balls and those along the ground.
His composure instilled a sense of security in Zvezda’s defensive line. At times, his calmness might have seemed almost nonchalant, but in reality, his play reflected maximum concentration and seriousness — the only way to maintain a spot in the first team.
Unfortunately, his playing career was short-lived. Zdravko began appearing for Zvezda’s first team in the summer of 1943, but by December of the same year, he was arrested and handed over to the Hungarian authorities, who sent him to a penal camp in Germany. He returned only after the end of World War II, but not to Novi Bečej — instead, he went back to his hometown of Stari Bečej.
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