Latest news with #Aberdeen-bound
The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Milanovic rolls dice on club move for World Cup glory
Former Western Sydney star Nicolas Milanovic is well aware a move overseas is a gamble that might not pay off. But the newly-minted Johnny Warren Medallist likes his chances. With the FIFA World Cup slated for June next year, Aberdeen-bound Milanovic has already taken steps to impress Socceroos boss Tony Popovic. The winger earned his first call-up to a national team training camp off the back of a stand-out A-League Men season that yielded 12 goals and six assists for the Wanderers. A move overseas has often stymied the rise of domestic stars and their hopes for a Socceroos spot, but Milanovic is confident he won't be another cautionary tale. The 23-year-old believes he's ready to test his mettle against some of Europe's best after resisting the urge to move prematurely last year. "I wanted to be the best in the league before I went," Milanovic said on Wednesday from the Socceroos training camp in Abu Dhabi. "Playing two consecutive full seasons, it's given me a lot of match experience to move on to Aberdeen and hopefully get a spot there as well as playing every week. "I've got a very, very close relationship with my father and last year he told me, 'go overseas' because it's both of our goals. "I want to be at the World Cup. That's a major goal of mine. That's the number one long-term goal that I've had for a few years now and I'm chipping away at it. "(To) be the Johnny Warren winner - that solidified in my mind that I could go overseas and try. "And as soon as I was on the roll and I was confident this season, I said to my family, to my agent and to my friends, like, 'Now's the time to go. I'm ready to go'. "I had a bit of doubt last year ... But this Aberdeen move, there wasn't one hint of doubt. "It's a big risk. Obviously, there's no right or wrong answer." Milanovic will first have to convince Popovic to name him in his next squad on Sunday. The Socceroos will play Group C leaders Japan (20 points) on June 5 in Perth, before heading to Jeddah to take on Saudi Arabia on June 11. Australia sit second (13) in the race for automatic qualification, ahead of the Saudis (10). Milanovic says his transition into the Socceroos camp has been made easier with a few familiar faces in former Wanderers teammates Brandon Borrello, Alex Bonetig and Alex Gersbach. He has also worked with Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Fox previously at Western United. "Obviously, the squad hasn't been chosen yet ... it's just trusting yourself and backing your own ability," Milanovic said. "I've done that all season and had my doubters and try to prove people wrong. "I'm now with kind of the big boys of Australia. I'm with some great players here and I want to put my best foot forward and show that I'm good enough to be here." Fringe Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has joined the training camp after completing his first full 90 minutes for Serie A side Parma after returning from an ACL injury. But Dundee United full-back Ryan Strain has returned to Scotland after sustaining an injury. Former Western Sydney star Nicolas Milanovic is well aware a move overseas is a gamble that might not pay off. But the newly-minted Johnny Warren Medallist likes his chances. With the FIFA World Cup slated for June next year, Aberdeen-bound Milanovic has already taken steps to impress Socceroos boss Tony Popovic. The winger earned his first call-up to a national team training camp off the back of a stand-out A-League Men season that yielded 12 goals and six assists for the Wanderers. A move overseas has often stymied the rise of domestic stars and their hopes for a Socceroos spot, but Milanovic is confident he won't be another cautionary tale. The 23-year-old believes he's ready to test his mettle against some of Europe's best after resisting the urge to move prematurely last year. "I wanted to be the best in the league before I went," Milanovic said on Wednesday from the Socceroos training camp in Abu Dhabi. "Playing two consecutive full seasons, it's given me a lot of match experience to move on to Aberdeen and hopefully get a spot there as well as playing every week. "I've got a very, very close relationship with my father and last year he told me, 'go overseas' because it's both of our goals. "I want to be at the World Cup. That's a major goal of mine. That's the number one long-term goal that I've had for a few years now and I'm chipping away at it. "(To) be the Johnny Warren winner - that solidified in my mind that I could go overseas and try. "And as soon as I was on the roll and I was confident this season, I said to my family, to my agent and to my friends, like, 'Now's the time to go. I'm ready to go'. "I had a bit of doubt last year ... But this Aberdeen move, there wasn't one hint of doubt. "It's a big risk. Obviously, there's no right or wrong answer." Milanovic will first have to convince Popovic to name him in his next squad on Sunday. The Socceroos will play Group C leaders Japan (20 points) on June 5 in Perth, before heading to Jeddah to take on Saudi Arabia on June 11. Australia sit second (13) in the race for automatic qualification, ahead of the Saudis (10). Milanovic says his transition into the Socceroos camp has been made easier with a few familiar faces in former Wanderers teammates Brandon Borrello, Alex Bonetig and Alex Gersbach. He has also worked with Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Fox previously at Western United. "Obviously, the squad hasn't been chosen yet ... it's just trusting yourself and backing your own ability," Milanovic said. "I've done that all season and had my doubters and try to prove people wrong. "I'm now with kind of the big boys of Australia. I'm with some great players here and I want to put my best foot forward and show that I'm good enough to be here." Fringe Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has joined the training camp after completing his first full 90 minutes for Serie A side Parma after returning from an ACL injury. But Dundee United full-back Ryan Strain has returned to Scotland after sustaining an injury. Former Western Sydney star Nicolas Milanovic is well aware a move overseas is a gamble that might not pay off. But the newly-minted Johnny Warren Medallist likes his chances. With the FIFA World Cup slated for June next year, Aberdeen-bound Milanovic has already taken steps to impress Socceroos boss Tony Popovic. The winger earned his first call-up to a national team training camp off the back of a stand-out A-League Men season that yielded 12 goals and six assists for the Wanderers. A move overseas has often stymied the rise of domestic stars and their hopes for a Socceroos spot, but Milanovic is confident he won't be another cautionary tale. The 23-year-old believes he's ready to test his mettle against some of Europe's best after resisting the urge to move prematurely last year. "I wanted to be the best in the league before I went," Milanovic said on Wednesday from the Socceroos training camp in Abu Dhabi. "Playing two consecutive full seasons, it's given me a lot of match experience to move on to Aberdeen and hopefully get a spot there as well as playing every week. "I've got a very, very close relationship with my father and last year he told me, 'go overseas' because it's both of our goals. "I want to be at the World Cup. That's a major goal of mine. That's the number one long-term goal that I've had for a few years now and I'm chipping away at it. "(To) be the Johnny Warren winner - that solidified in my mind that I could go overseas and try. "And as soon as I was on the roll and I was confident this season, I said to my family, to my agent and to my friends, like, 'Now's the time to go. I'm ready to go'. "I had a bit of doubt last year ... But this Aberdeen move, there wasn't one hint of doubt. "It's a big risk. Obviously, there's no right or wrong answer." Milanovic will first have to convince Popovic to name him in his next squad on Sunday. The Socceroos will play Group C leaders Japan (20 points) on June 5 in Perth, before heading to Jeddah to take on Saudi Arabia on June 11. Australia sit second (13) in the race for automatic qualification, ahead of the Saudis (10). Milanovic says his transition into the Socceroos camp has been made easier with a few familiar faces in former Wanderers teammates Brandon Borrello, Alex Bonetig and Alex Gersbach. He has also worked with Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Fox previously at Western United. "Obviously, the squad hasn't been chosen yet ... it's just trusting yourself and backing your own ability," Milanovic said. "I've done that all season and had my doubters and try to prove people wrong. "I'm now with kind of the big boys of Australia. I'm with some great players here and I want to put my best foot forward and show that I'm good enough to be here." Fringe Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has joined the training camp after completing his first full 90 minutes for Serie A side Parma after returning from an ACL injury. But Dundee United full-back Ryan Strain has returned to Scotland after sustaining an injury.
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Milanovic rolls dice on club move for World Cup glory
Former Western Sydney star Nicolas Milanovic is well aware a move overseas is a gamble that might not pay off. But the newly-minted Johnny Warren Medallist likes his chances. With the FIFA World Cup slated for June next year, Aberdeen-bound Milanovic has already taken steps to impress Socceroos boss Tony Popovic. The winger earned his first call-up to a national team training camp off the back of a stand-out A-League Men season that yielded 12 goals and six assists for the Wanderers. A move overseas has often stymied the rise of domestic stars and their hopes for a Socceroos spot, but Milanovic is confident he won't be another cautionary tale. The 23-year-old believes he's ready to test his mettle against some of Europe's best after resisting the urge to move prematurely last year. He has also worked with Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Fox previously at Western United. "Obviously, the squad hasn't been chosen yet ... it's just trusting yourself and backing your own ability," Milanovic said. "I've done that all season and had my doubters and try to prove people wrong. "I'm now with kind of the big boys of Australia. I'm with some great players here and I want to put my best foot forward and show that I'm good enough to be here." Fringe Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has joined the training camp after completing his first full 90 minutes for Serie A side Parma after returning from an ACL injury. But Dundee United full-back Ryan Strain has returned to Scotland after sustaining an injury.
Perth Now
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Milanovic rolls dice on club move for World Cup glory
Former Western Sydney star Nicolas Milanovic is well aware a move overseas is a gamble that might not pay off. But the newly-minted Johnny Warren Medallist likes his chances. With the FIFA World Cup slated for June next year, Aberdeen-bound Milanovic has already taken steps to impress Socceroos boss Tony Popovic. The winger earned his first call-up to a national team training camp off the back of a stand-out A-League Men season that yielded 12 goals and six assists for the Wanderers. A move overseas has often stymied the rise of domestic stars and their hopes for a Socceroos spot, but Milanovic is confident he won't be another cautionary tale. The 23-year-old believes he's ready to test his mettle against some of Europe's best after resisting the urge to move prematurely last year. He has also worked with Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Fox previously at Western United. "Obviously, the squad hasn't been chosen yet ... it's just trusting yourself and backing your own ability," Milanovic said. "I've done that all season and had my doubters and try to prove people wrong. "I'm now with kind of the big boys of Australia. I'm with some great players here and I want to put my best foot forward and show that I'm good enough to be here." Fringe Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has joined the training camp after completing his first full 90 minutes for Serie A side Parma after returning from an ACL injury. But Dundee United full-back Ryan Strain has returned to Scotland after sustaining an injury.
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Four stars from one Scottish football club called up by nation ahead of date with World Cup destiny
Popovic keen to run rule over several SPFL players Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs' exploits in the Scottish Premiership have not gone unnoticed by Australia manager Tony Popovic after he called up four Easter Road players for a training camp ahead of their World Cup qualifiers next month. Fresh for clinching third place in the top flight of Scottish football, Hibs quartet Lewis Miller, Jack Iredale, Nectarios Triantis and Martin Boyle have been summoned by Popovic for a stint in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Socceroos' final World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Popovic wants to run the rule over players before settling on a squad the week commencing May 26 and has asked 23 Australians who do not have club commitments to travel to the United Arab Emirates next week and stake their claim. Hibs defender Miller and striker Boyle are regular fixtures in the Australia squad, but midfielder Triantis remains uncapped after his maiden call-up back in March, while this will be Iredale's first selection by his country. The former Morton and Bolton left-sided defender has been one of Hibs' most impressive players this season. Hibs duo Nectarios Triantis and Jack Iredale are in the Australia set-up. | SNS Group There is a heavy SPFL presence in the Australia group. Dundee United right-back Ryan Strain has been picked, while Aberdeen-bound winger Nicolas Milanovic has also been selected. Hearts midfield duo Cammy Devlin and Calem Nieuwenhof have again missed out, while former St Mirren man Keanu Baccus - now at Mansfield - retains his place. On the training camp, Popovic said: 'Firstly, I'm very grateful to Football Australia for their support with this training camp which is invaluable for the players and staff ahead of our games in June. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We've got players finishing up their seasons at a range of different times, so it's important they remain physically and mentally sharp in the weeks leading up to the final squad selection. I'm looking forward to the chance to work together for an extended period. 'There are also a lot of players who are currently in-season with their clubs, and we'll be monitoring them closely over the coming weeks. Australia's World Cup bid Australia are currently second in Group C of the Asian World Cup qualifiers, three points ahead of nearest challengers Saudi Arabia. They face Japan in Perth on Thursday, June 5 before heading to Jeddah on Tuesday, June 10 in what could be a direct shoot-out for the one remaining automatic spot behind the already qualified Japanese, who may call up Celtic duo Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda for the final matches.
Perth Now
15-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Wanderers confirm star's sale
Aberdeen-bound Nicolas Milanovic has vowed to 'one day' return to the Wanderers after Western Sydney confirmed the star attacker's move to the Scottish Premiership club. The Wanderers have secured a club-record transfer fee – understood to be about $800,000 – for Milanovic, who has signed with the Dons on a four-year deal that is subject to a pre-contract agreement and a pending visa approval. 'We are incredibly proud of Nicolas and everything he has achieved during his time with the Wanderers,' Western Sydney chief executive officer Scott Hudson said. 'At the Wanderers, we are committed to developing players who can make an impact not just in the A-Leagues, but on the global stage. Nicolas is a shining example of that vision, and we're excited to see him embrace this new challenge with Aberdeen. 'Nicolas will always be part of the Wanderers family. He has left a legacy at our club, and we look forward to welcoming him back whenever he returns home.' Nicolas Milanovic has signed a four-year deal with Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen. Michael Klein Credit: News Corp Australia Milanovic, 23, said the Wanderers – the club he supported as a boy – had 'changed his life'. 'As I begin this new chapter and take on the challenge of playing in Europe, I know I wouldn't be here without the belief and opportunity I was given at my hometown club,' he said. 'The red and black will always be part of me, and one day I will be back.' Western Sydney coach Alen Stajcic said Milanovic – who scored 12 goals in the club's 2024-25 A-League campaign – had left a 'great mark' on the Wanderers after joining the club in February 2023 from Western United. 'Nicolas has had an outstanding return to his boyhood club,' Stajcic said. 'During the last two and a half seasons he has demonstrated not only his incredible talents, but a growth and maturity that has allowed him to become a consistent performer and integral part of the rise of the team throughout 2025. 'We wish him all the best and will follow his career with anticipation.'
