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Nenad Milijaš

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Nenad Milijaš
Milijaš with the Serbian national team in 2010
Personal information
Full name Nenad Milijaš
Date of birth (1983-04-30) 30 April 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Nei Mongol Zhongyou
Number 9
Youth career
1995–2000 Zemun
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2005 Zemun 129 (17)
2006–2009 Red Star Belgrade 97 (37)
2009–2012 Wolverhampton Wanderers 62 (4)
2012–2014 Red Star Belgrade 58 (20)
2014–2015 Manisaspor 18 (7)
2015 Hebei China Fortune 29 (13)
2016– Nei Mongol Zhongyou 26 (3)
International career‡
2008–2011 Serbia 25 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 September 2016
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Nenad "Neša" Milijaš (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Милијаш, Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [milijaʃ]; born 30 April 1983) is a Serbian footballer who plays as a midfielder for China League One club Nei Mongol Zhongyou. He represented Serbia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Milijaš rose to prominence in his homeland with his first club FK Zemun before moving to Red Star Belgrade where he won league and cup honours. Decorated with individual awards for his performances at Red Star, he broke into the Serbian national side in 2008. He moved to England in 2009 when he signed for Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers but returned to his former club three years later.

Club career

Zemun

Milijaš began his playing career in the youth ranks of Belgrade-based FK Zemun, where he progressed through to make it into their first team in 2000. He really began to establish himself in the middle of the park during the 2001–02 season and was a vital player for the club over the following seasons. In 2005–06, he had his best goalscoring start to a season, netting eight times by Christmas. This attracted attention from the country's biggest club and local rival, Red Star Belgrade.

Red Star Belgrade

Following his continually impressive form for FK Zemun, Milijaš signed for Red Star Belgrade in January 2006. He ended his first season with Belgrade by winning both the Serbian Superliga and Serbian Cup with his new club. He won both trophies again with Belgrade the following season. Milijaš found appearances restricted by then manager Dusan Bajević, but the arrival of Boško Djurovski as the club's new manager saw him gain more playing time and re-discover his form. He then held down a first team spot in central midfield for the following seasons, becoming a vital member of the team as they went close to more domestic honours and regularly competing in European competitions. Milijaš enjoyed his best season so far in 2008–09, finishing Red Star's top goalscorer with 16 league goals, 22 goals in all competitions, making him Serbian football's leading scorer in that season. He also won the league's Most Valuable Player Award, was voted into the All Star Team, named 2008–09 Serbian Superliga Player of the Year and broke into the Serbia national football team. This form attracted attention from various clubs in Europe.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Newly promoted Premier League side Wolves signed Milijaš on 15 June 2009 in a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £2.6 million.[2] He made his debut in August 2009, in the club's 2–0 opening day defeat to West Ham, in which he was voted Sky Sports' man of the match.[3] Milijaš scored his first goal for Wolves with a long distance strike to earn a 2–1 home win against Bolton in December 2009;[4] before netting a second and final goal for the season two weeks later, against Burnley.[5]

Milijaš made twenty appearances in the Premier League in the 2010–11 season, scoring twice. He also matched that tally in the League Cup, scoring two penalties, against Southend and Notts County.[6][7] In a 3–3 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, Milijaš created two goals by assisting Kevin Doyle's opening goal, and then winning a penalty for a second Doyle goal.[8] He also featured in the team's victory at Aston Villa as Wolves narrowly stayed up on the final day of the season.

Milijaš made only sporadic appearances during the next season, but during November and December he enjoyed a run of starts in the team. However, this was halted when he was sent off in a 1–1 draw at Arsenal for a challenge on Mikel Arteta.[9] Wolves made an appeal to have this red card rescinded, including a unique press conference by then-manager Mick McCarthy who showed slow motion replays from a number of angles, but the appeal was unsuccessful and the three-match ban was upheld.[10] Following this dismissal he only made a number of substitute appearances in the final months as the club were relegated under caretaker manager Terry Connor.

Following the appointment of Ståle Solbakken as Wolves manager during the close season, it was announced that Milijaš was available for transfer, having expressed a desire to play more regularly.[11] On 30 August, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent to allow him to find a new club.[12]

Return to Red Star Belgrade

On 31 August 2012, one day after his departure from Wolves, Milijaš rejoined his former club Red Star Belgrade when he signed a three-year deal.[13] He scored his first goal against Radnički Kragujevac 1923 from a free kick. On 13 April 2013, he scored a hat-trick against FK Spartak Zlatibor Voda.[14]

Hebei China Fortune

On 16 February 2015, Milijaš transferred to China League One side Hebei China Fortune.[15]

Nei Mongol Zhongyou

On 14 February 2016, Milijaš transferred to fellow China League One side Nei Mongol Zhongyou.[16]

International career

Milijaš made his full international debut for Serbia on 6 September 2008, in a 2–0 win over the Faroe Islands in a World Cup 2010 qualifier. He scored his first international goal in his fourth appearance, in a 6–1 rout of Bulgaria in a friendly on 19 November 2008, then added his first competitive goal when he netted the winner from the penalty spot to defeat Austria 1–0 on 6 June 2009. This qualification campaign ultimately saw the nation qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa, with Milijaš a regular in central midfield, usually paired with captain Dejan Stanković. He was subsequently selected in their final squad for the tournament, their first World Cup Finals competing as "Serbia", and played in their opening game against Ghana.

He has previously represented Serbia and Montenegro at under–21 level, appearing in the side which made the semi finals of the 2006 European Under–21 Championship in Portugal.

Career statistics

Club

As of October 2016[17]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Zemun 1999-00 2 0 ? ? – 0 0 2 0
2000-01 10 0 ? ? – 0 0 10 0
2001-02 26 1 ? ? – 0 0 26 1
2002-03 27 2 ? ? – 0 0 27 2
2003-04 27 3 ? ? – 0 0 27 3
2004-05 22 3 ? ? – 0 0 22 3
2005-06 15 8 ? ? – 0 0 15 8
Total 129 17 ? ? – 0 0 129 17
Red Star 2005–06 10 4 2 0 – 0 0 12 4
2006–07 25 5 4 1 – 4 0 3 6
2007–08 29 10 3 1 – 10 1 42 12
2008–09 33 18 4 3 – 2 2 39 23
Total 97 37 13 5 – 16 3 126 45
Wolverhampton 2009–10 19 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 22 2
2010–11 23 2 2 1 2 2 0 0 27 5
2011–12 20 0 1 0 3 2 0 0 24 2
Total 62 4 5 1 6 4 0 0 73 9
Red Star 2012–13 26 9 3 0 – 0 0 29 9
2013–14 29 8 3 1 – 4 0 36 9
2014–15 3 3 0 0 – 0 0 3 3
Total 58 20 6 1 – 4 0 68 21
Manisaspor 2014–15 18 7 5 1 – 0 0 23 8
Total 18 7 5 1 – 0 0 23 8
Hebei China Fortune 2015 29 13 0 0 – 0 0 29 13
Total 29 13 0 0 – 0 0 29 13
Nei Mongol Zhongyou 2016 26 3 0 0 – 0 0 26 3
Total 26 3 0 0 – 0 0 26 3
Career total 419 101 29 8 6 4 20 3 474 116

International

Serbian national team
Year Apps Goals
2008 5 1
2009 9 2
2010 6 1
2011 5 0
Total 25 4

International goals

Scores and results list Serbia's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 19 November 2008 Stadion FK Partizan, Belgrade, Serbia  Bulgaria 5–1 6–1 Friendly
2. 6 June 2009 Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia  Austria 1–0 1–0 2010 World Cup qualifier
3. 9 September 2009 Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia  France 1–0 1–1 2010 World Cup qualifier
4. 4 June 2010 Stadion FK Partizan, Belgrade, Serbia  Cameroon 3–2 4–3 Friendly

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Honours

Club
Individual
  • Serbian Superliga Player of the Year (1): 2008–09
  • Serbian Superliga All Star Team (1): 2008–09
  • Most valuable player (1): 2008–09

References

  1. ^ "Nenad Milijas – Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Wolves snap up Serbian midfielder". BBC Sport. 15 June 2009.
  3. ^ "Hammers ruin Wolves' return". Sky Sports. 15 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Wolverhampton 2–1 Bolton". BBC Sport. 5 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Wolverhampton 2–0 Burnley". BBC Sport. 20 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Wolverhampton 2–1 Southend". BBC Sport. 24 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Wolverhampton 4–2 Notts County". BBC Sport. 21 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Wolverhampton 3–3 Tottenham". BBC Sport. 6 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Arsenal 1–1 Wolves". BBC Sport. 27 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijas loses red card appeal". BBC Sport. 29 December 2011.
  11. ^ "Boss' injury bulletin". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 14 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Wolves cancel Nenad Milijas contract by mutual consent". BBC Sport. 30 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Milijaš se vratio u Zvezdu" (in Serbian). Red Star Belgrade. 31 August 2012.
  14. ^ [1] Alo! (Serbian): Het-trik Milijaša za nastavak šampionske trke! 13 April 2013
  15. ^ 河北华夏签约塞尔维亚足球先生 at sports.sohu.com 2015-02-16 Retrieved 2015-02-17
  16. ^ 内蒙古中优签下华夏冲超功臣 at sports.sina.com 2016-02-14 Retrieved 2016-02-14
  17. ^ "N.Milijas". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
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