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Nicolas Milanovic to Aberdeen transfer answer sees Jimmy Thelin play the transfer game with firm reply

Nicolas Milanovic to Aberdeen transfer answer sees Jimmy Thelin play the transfer game with firm reply

Daily Record25-04-2025

Jimmy Thelin refused to comment on Aberdeen's closing in on a move for Western Sydney Wanderers winger Nicolas Milanovic The Dons have agreed a deal in principle of around £400,000 for the A-League player. The Pittodrie side are now in talks with the 23-year-old and his representative over a long-term deal, which will be a minimum of three years. That is expected to be finalised over the coming days and a move will be subject to a medical and a work permit being issued for him to make the switch to Scotland in the summer. Thelin, when asked if he could comment on Milanovic, answered: 'Not really. I guess I'm not going to comment on other teams' players right now. 'As usual this part of the season the focus is on the games we have now and when we have something to say we will say it but right now nothing.' The Dons manager did confirm that Ester Sokler's season is now over after a training ground injury and Kristen Tobers will step up his rehabilitation next week. Slovenian Sokler is not long back from injury. Thelin confirmed: 'Kristers Tobers is progressing well and next week he's going to be more integrated in training, but he's still not ready. Ester Sokler will be out for the rest of the season. 'He suffered an injury in the training session and unfortunately it's going to be a bit longer term but he will be fine in the pre-season. 'He slipped and something in the leg there so he stretched out a little bit but it's not so big but there's not so much time left of the season so he's not going to be available. 'That's why I always feel for the players when the training is so hard and he's coming back and then he gets another setback. 'It's so emotional for the players but he's a good support and he's a good character so he's going to be fine.' Sivert Nilsen is set to return to Scotland next week and has an appointment with a specialist to see the next step on his return from an eye issue. He added: 'He will be here next week and go to the appointment and assessment and after that we know more for sure exactly the timeline.' Aberdeen host Hibs and Thelin knows it could be vital in the fight for third place. The Edinburgh side currently has a three point advantage over the Dons and Dundee United. Thelin said: 'Everybody knows the importance of the game and we're looking forward to playing at home. 'It's quite an exciting part of the season right now and I hope we play at home. They have done really well but still it's just a three-point difference. 'I think we're also in a good run now and I think the supporters and the fans and the players are ready to play a good performance tomorrow and try to get the three points.' Hibs rewarded their manager David Gray with a new contract . Thelin believes Gray deserves it for the job he has done. Thelin stated: 'I think Hibernian showed respect for his work and he got a new contract. 'He's deserved it and has done really well. So it's good for him and I think it's good for Hibernian. 'You found a difficult opposition this season. I think they are really clear about what they want to do. They have a clear directness inside the game. 'A lot of runs and they are good at what they are doing and that's what we have prepared for. 'Also doing better than the last games against them and of course our own attacking is important also. 'How we attack them, I think that's the main part for tomorrow. 'How we are going to approach the game and how we come out to the game at home at the target. 'I think it's going to be a really intense game, a fast game, how both teams are playing. 'But hopefully we can give our best performance and try to win the game.'

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Soccer Aid's Martin Compston's professional football career before he left for acting
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Soccer Aid's Martin Compston's professional football career before he left for acting

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Arsenal eye three strikers as Viktor Gyokeres stance emerges after Man Utd snub
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Arsenal eye three strikers as Viktor Gyokeres stance emerges after Man Utd snub

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Scottish actor Martin Compston, best known for his role as DS Steve Arnott in the hit BBC drama Line of Duty, is a former professional footballer, having even had a stint with Aberdeen Before his acting career took off, Line of Duty star Martin Compston was a professional footballer. The Scottish actor is now best known for his role as DS Steve Arnott in the hit BBC drama. The 41-year-old is set to lace up his boots for Soccer Aid at Old Trafford, with kick off on Sunday evening at 7.30pm. Compston will line up for the Rest of the World against England, with former Italy star Leonardo Bonucci among his team-mates. ‌ However, Compston was also a pro footballer in Scotland before focusing his energy on becoming an actor. In his early football career, he had stints with Aberdeen and Morton. The Line of Duty actor even played two senior matches for Morton at the end of the 2001/02 season, but without much success. ‌ His first appearance resulted in a 4-0 defeat against Alloa Athletic, while his second – another 4-0 defeat, this time against Queen of the South – saw Morton relegated from the Scottish Second Division. On Si Ferry's Open Goal podcast, Compston previously discussed his brief football career. He explained that he was first spotted while playing in a Scottish underage cup final against a Celtic side which included future Man Utd star Darren Fletcher. After a stint with his hometown club, he was signed by Aberdeen where he played alongside future Premier League ace Dean Windass. Compston even captained the Aberdeen youth team for a short period, but the actor knew when his time was up at the club. "I remember I was captain at a game and one of the top scouts came down, and we got beat off an East Kilbride select," Compston said in 2019. "I went, 'That's that f*****!'" ‌ After his stint at Aberdeen, Compston found himself back at Morton in the Scottish Second Division. "It just wasn't a good time to be at the club," the actor admitted. "They'd just gone down to the second division and we were struggling. "It was a mad time. We were full-time the YTS [Youth Team Scholarship] players. There was only three or four of us cleaning 40 pairs of boots and cleaning the stadium. "The first team were coming in training at night. There was a lot of hanging about. I felt more like a cleaner than a football player. ‌ "I made my debut when I was 17," Compston recalled. "We were away to Alloa. I knew they were only going to pitch me in if we were well up or well down. "I felt terrible, Alloa were winning 2-0 with 40 minutes left and they put a third one in and I was like, 'You beauty.' ‌ "The last game of the season, we had to win to stay up and we were playing Queen of the South who had to win to win the league. It was a sell-out, 14,000. The atmosphere was unbelievable." However, the day didn't go entirely smoothly. "There was some b******... at half-time, I knew I was going on. So I'm spraying balls about," Compston said. "It smashed somebody and he's run on and rugby tackled me. The stewards were just all laughing. It was nerve-wracking. It was Scottish second division football but it's like, 'You've done that.'" Compston began acting during his football career after he secured a role in Ken Loach's film 'Sweet Sixteen' while still with Morton. "It worked out perfect," Compston explained. "I'd just finished my exams and I'd got my Morton contract. The auditions were at the end of the year. ‌ "I went to [Morton manager] Peter Cormack and asked if it was alright to miss a couple of days of pre-season. We filmed it in the close season. He said, 'You're a fit boy, you'll be fine.' I finished filming and went back to Greenock Morton. "I remember being gutted because in the programme notes, the players were asked who's their favourite actor and not one of them said me. I thought one of them, for a joke, would throw my name in there!" Despite Loach being impressed by Compston's acting ability, the director advised him to stick to football. However, the Line of Duty star didn't heed that advice and auditioned for a Heartbeat spin-off called The Royal. He had been sent the wrong script but still got the part and from then on his mind was set. "That was a big wake-up call," Compston said. "They don't know who I am. They hadn't seen Sweet Sixteen. To get that, I said, 'OK, I'm alright at this.' "Morton weren't going through the best of times. I was driving up the road one day, passing Cappielow [Greenock Morton's stadium] and I just went in and said [to manager Dave McPherson], 'I think I'm going to give this acting a crack.' He said, 'Sorry to lose you,' but I didn't find it too hard to be honest."

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