The Newcastle Jets have signed talented defender Ljubo Milicevic on a 1-year deal. The former Qantas Socceroo will join his new teammates at training tomorrow along with fellow new signing Donny de Groot.
The Newcastle Jets have signed talented defender Ljubo Milicevic on a 1-year deal. The former Qantas Socceroo will join his new teammates at training tomorrow along with fellow new signing Donny de Groot.
One of the most naturally gifted central defenders to come out of Australia in the past decade, Milicevic made a name for himself after time with a quartet of Swiss clubs: FC Zurich, FC Basel, FC Thun and BSC Young Boys. Indeed, the towering back was the first Australian player to captain a club side in the prestigious European Champions League competition when he wore the armband for FC Thun in 2005/06 against powerhouse clubs such as Arsenal and AFC Ajax.
Milicevic began his club career with a brief stint at the Melbourne Knights before making the move across the nullarbor to join Perth Glory where he won his first National Soccer League (NSL) Championship in 2000. He was then snapped up by powerhouse club FC Zurich, and spent a successful 6 year period in the Swiss Super League. The 27-year-old returned home to play for Melbourne Victory in 2007, and has now joined the club from the Hunter region for a tilt at AFC Champions League glory.
His performances at club level have earned him 6 Socceroos caps in total, 3 of which were tallied at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup where the team failed to make an impact in Group A of the competition.
Jets- Chief Executive Officer John Tsatsimas today welcomed Milicevic to Newcastle and in particular to his new club.
“We are very proud to announce the signing of Ljubo Milicevic this afternoon. We believe that he is a player that can easily become a quality member of our squad and contribute significantly in terms of his ability and leadership.”
“At 27 years of age he certainly has plenty of life left in his career, we have no doubts whatsoever that Ljubo has a great amount of football to play, and we are proud that he will be doing so in Newcastle, one of the true heartlands of football in this country.”
“Our entire club is moving in a very positive direction as we push towards the upcoming Champions League tournament, and today-s signings are a big part of that,” he concluded.
Ljubo Milicevic Profile
Date of Birth: 13 February 1981
Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia
Position: Central Defender/Midfielder
Playing History
Year Club Appearances (Goals)
1998-1999 Melbourne Knights 1 (0)
1999-2001 Perth Glory 29 (3)
2001-2002 FC Zurich 0 (0)
2002-2003 FC Basel 0 (0)
2004-2006 FC Thun 56 (4)
2006-2007 BSC Young Boys 12 (0)
2007-2008 Melbourne Victory 2 (0)
Achievements
• 2000 NSL Champions (Perth Glory)
• 2005/06 Captain of FC Thun
• 6 Socceroos caps
