Milanovic also knows that physically it will be a challenge with Jimmy Thelin having to balance his Dons squad on two fronts
11:30, 04 Sep 2025Updated 19:42, 04 Sep 2025
Celtic’s Reo Hatate (L) and Aberdeen’s Nicolas Milanovic in action(Image: SNS Group)
Nicolas Milanovic is dreaming of making his Australian debut against New Zealand.
The Aberdeen star has been called up by Socceroos boss Tony Popovic for the equivalent of the ‘Soccer Ashes’.
Australia entertain the Kiwis in Canberra tomorrow and then head to New Zealand on Tuesday.
Milanovic, who has been capped at under-23 level, got his first call-up for an end of season training camp, but was then cut from the squad for the games against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The 23-year-old said: “I’ve been waiting a bit now for mine and still striving every day and working every day at club level to try and achieve those goals of making not one cap, but hopefully 10, 20 or 30.
“We have this two-legged tie against New Zealand and everyone wants to win.
“The word friendly is not so good around here.
“You want to impress the coach, impress the staff, and hopefully come back again.”
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Milanovic will have plenty of backing in the GIO Stadium, as his family are making the six hour round trip from Penrith.
He stated: “You don’t know when your first cap is going to come. Obviously, they’re all going to be coming down to Canberra.
“So hopefully, it would be great to get the cap there.
“But whenever it comes, it comes. It’s more a waiting thing, because you’ve got to believe in yourself and know that one day you will get there.
“I’m right there on the edge, and I’ve got my whole family backing me.”
The winger knows that you have to take every opportunity with the goal of a World Cup final to come next summer. He has a few familiar faces in Hibs pair Jack Iredale and Martin Boyle in the Australian squad.
Milanovic confirmed: “We’re all pushing each other because we all want, eventually, a spot to go to the World Cup.
“So you can see that in the last year or so, there are so many young Aussies going overseas.
“I don’t think I’ve seen this many go ever since being involved in Aussie football.
“I would say it’s a new wave.
“There are moves everywhere around Europe and this whole squad is from Europe.
“So there are already 25 players that are playing overseas.
“It’s more so everyone challenging each other for spots and trying to impress the national team at club level.
“You can see that – everyone’s doing well, everyone’s going overseas, and everyone’s playing. I’m happy that everyone has got to go overseas.”
He swapped Western Sydney Wanderers for Pittodrie in the summer. Aberdeen haven’t exactly made a flying start to the 2025-26 season, but Milanovic is confident he has made the right move. The Dons will be looking for improvement with the recent high-profile signings of Stuart Amstrong, Jasper Karlsson and Kevin Nisbet.
The Australian acknowledged: “It is not easy. “Our club is struggling a little bit but we need to start performing better and picking up the wins. “Physically, it is tough. “A lot of Australian people and media they kind of gotten into Australians in the past about Scotland as a whole.
“Even myself, I was asking why are people going to Scotland? “Now I am there, it is tough, it is not easy.
“From the A League to Scotland it is a tough transition. “It is a high level of players and pressing. To be around that mix is just going to make you better as a footballer. “I am really happy to be there and that will spur me on for my career as well.”
Milanovic knows that physically it will be a challenge with Jimmy Thelin having to balance his Dons squad for their domestic and Conference League group games.
He claimed: “I’m enjoying it, to be honest. It’s a peaceful place.
“It gets cold, as they say, so I’m prepared for that. I’m settling well, I’ve started straight away playing games every three to four days.
“We’re right in the thick of it now. We haven’t started as well as we would like in Aberdeen, but there are plenty of games to go.
““It is very unlike the A League when you play a lot of games by December. “It is more so looking after yourself with you eating habits and sleeping right. “The whole side is new to me and I am really enjoying it.
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin
“Every kid dreams to play in Europe and that whole process of games every three or four days.
“Training less than you would here, the recovery side, the travel side, all that.
“I’me learning off players in Aberdeen who have done it and there view as to how they go about things.
“I’m really enjoying it.
“We are going to be playing 50 to 60 games this year. “We have the cups, Europe and the league.
“We have to take it as it comes. “Keep myself fit and hopefully it takes us to better things.”
ENDS