Incoming Aberdeen winger Nicolas Milanovic “doesn’t have an ego”, despite a campaign in Australia which has him on the cusp of not just a switch to Pittodrie, but senior Socceroos recognition.
The Dons have agreed a deal of just under £400,000 with A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers for the 12-goal wideman, 23, and he is expected to be the first summer addition to Jimmy Thelin’s squad.
Milanovic’s form for Wanderers this term had him in the hunt for the regular season golden boot.
His goals went a long way to helping WSW secure a fourth-placed finish and qualification for the Australian top-flight’s end-of-season finals.
Former Australia women’s international Grace Gill is a commentator and analyst for official A-League broadcasters Network 10 and Paramount Plus, and has covered Milanovic’s matches this term.
Despite a sparkling season, including a treble against Newcastle Jets and scoring in five consecutive league outings – with Socceroos boss Tony Popovic naming Milanovic as a talent who is “on the radar” – Gill says Aberdeen will not be signing a player who is “too big for his boots”.
She said: “I commentate on both the men’s and the women’s A-League here in Australia – either in lead or in colour call.
“And then we also do a couple of shows, like panel shows, about both the men’s and the women’s (A-Leagues), and I work across all of that.
“From what I’ve seen of him, sort of personality and demeanour-wise, he seems like a pretty good guy, which is nice.
“We’ve chatted to him after games where he’s had really good performances.
“I think the question around things like national team call-ups has been put to him. He seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. He doesn’t have an ego.
“He’s always just saying: ‘Well, I’ve just got to keep working hard.’
“You know, kind of straight answers. But he’s definitely not a big-headed player.
“He doesn’t come across like he’s sort of too big for his own boots. He’s pretty willing to just put his head down, get stuck in and work hard.
“I mean, in the big games he gets up and about in celebrations – but all of them do. That’s kind of what you do in the big derby games.
“But he’s definitely not a kind of, yeah, not flamboyant.
“He just does the hard work and does it pretty well.”
‘He’s tall as well… a pretty good aerial target’
While Milanovic’s goals from the right flank will have excited Dons fans, Gill pointed to the attacker’s less-heralded stature and ability in the air.
Gill says she expects a national team call-up for Milanovic “pretty soon” to recognise what has been a “really good season”.
She added: “He’s got a wicked left foot. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the highlights.
“He’s pretty mobile.
“And he’s tall as well – he’s a pretty good aerial target.
“So I really like him as a player.
“I mean, goalscoring aside – he’s obviously had a good year of scoring and assisting.
“So if you take that out of the equation, he’s still a really well-rounded player this season.
“His defensive work off the ball is pretty good.
“In terms of how I’d rate him across the league, he’d be up there in the top 10-20 players.
“I feel like he doesn’t quite get the recognition he deserves because he’s had a standout year, but for whatever reason his name is just not up in lights.
“Maybe that’s because he’s in a team alongside Juan Mata and he gets all of the media attention, even if he’s not playing a great deal.”
Success of Hibs’ Nectarios Triantis
Gill concurred with fellow A-League journalist Sacha Pisani the fee Aberdeen have agreed for Milanovic feels “a little light”.
She pointed to the success of Hibernian loanee Nectarios Triantis – the former A-League defensive midfielder who some Scottish football pundits think was unlucky not to be included in the Premiership team of the season.
Gill said: “I’d say a little light on it, just because I think he’s a really good prospect.
“I don’t know the Scottish Premiership particularly well, so I don’t know how to compare or sort of say how he’d adapt to that, because as you know, there’s players who have come over from Australia and tried to play in Scotland and have had varying degrees of success.
“Obviously, some are doing really well at the moment, like (Hibs’) Nectarios Triantis and a couple of others.
“But I don’t know the league so well myself.
“The transfer fee… I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been a little bit higher.
“I’m genuinely really excited for him.”
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