Image: Dandenong City
Dandenong City have confirmed the surprise signing of one of their favourite sons in local product and former Socceroo Ljubo Milicevic, who returns to the game after a three-year absence.
The 35-year-old former Hajduk Split captain last featured for the Melbourne Knights in 2013 before joining former club Perth Glory ahead of the 2013/14 A-League season.
However, Milicevic departed NIB Stadium prior to the beginning of the campaign by mutual agreement and has not been seen on the pitch since then.
A junior with Dandenong City (then known as Chelsea Hajduk), Milicevic earned a scholarship with the AIS in 1997 and captained them to two consecutive National Youth League titles.
A senior NSL debut with the Melbourne Knights in 1999 subsequently led to a two-year stint west with the Perth Glory, where he was a part of Bernd Stange’s 1999-2000 Grand Final losing side, becoming the youngest ever goalscorer in a Grand Final.
Two years at the Glory yielded 29 league appearances before he secured a European move to Swiss side Zurich, making a further 45 appearances in the Swiss first tier, which also included two games on loan for Christian Gross’ Basel side.
The St Bede’s alumni then moved to FC Thun, whom he captained during their 2005-06 Champions League campaign, facing up against the likes of Thierry Henry and Wesley Sneijder to name a few.
A natural leader, Milicevic captained the Young Socceroos at the 2001 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Argentina as well as the 2004 Olympics in Athens, which ultimately led to a Socceroos debut in 2005.
A member of Frank Farina’s 2005 Confederations Cup squad, he was surprisingly overlooked for the 2006 World Cup before joining Young Boys of Bern ahead of the 2006/07 campaign.
Having featured 143 times in the Swiss Super League, Milicevic knocked back a reported offer from Premier League side Middlesbrough in favour of a return home by joining the Melbourne Victory.
However his spell with the then-defending A-League Champions was short-lived as Milicevic exited the club following a disagreement with coach Ernie Merrick and injury troubles with his knee.
Following some time away from the game, Milicevic began training with Dandenong City in 2009 before eventually joining Branko Culina’s Newcastle Jets.
He appeared 44 times for the Hunter based club, which he captained before exiting the club in January 2011 in the hope of securing a deal in Europe.
Unsuccessful trials with Swiss Champions Basel and Bundesliga 2. Side Arminia Bielefeld followed, prompting Milicevic to join South Melbourne in order to keep his fitness ahead of the summer transfer window.
He made eight league appearances under Eddie Krncevic in blue before joining childhood club Hajduk Split which, at the time, was celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Milicevic was again made captain and featured five times for the Pride of Dalmatia before mutually terminating his contract following more injury heartache.
The central defender returned to the game in 2013 by re-joining the Melbourne Knights, making a further nine league appearances in the VPL before heading back to the Glory and departing soon after.
He commenced pre-season training with Dandenong City a few weeks back and was part of the club’s trip to Gippsland on the weekend, where Stuart Munro’s men played a friendly against Morwell Pegasus.
Also able to play in the heart of midfield, he joins former A-League players Mate Dugandzic and Nick Kalmar as new recruits at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
In addition to the high-profile duo, Hajduk have also signed Steven Topalovic, Shaun and James Kelly, Paul Harvey, David Stirton and Luke Eyles, and commence their campaign with a mouth-watering Round 1 match-up away to rivals Dandenong Thunder on Friday February 3.