HEAD Coach Ante Milicic has added another name to his inaugural Macarthur FC squad with Sydney-born towering defender Aleksandar Jovanovic putting pen to paper on a two-year deal with the A-League newcomers.
The 196cm stopper, who has plied his trade in both Europe and Asia, has never played professionally in Australia.
31-year-old Jovanovic’s career began with APIA Leichardt before joining Parramatta FC in 2006 and leaving Australian shores in 2007.
After time spent with Serbian SuperLiga club Vojvodina, Jovanovic journeyed to BEC Tero Sasana FC in the Thai Premier League and Suwon City FC in the K-League 2 competition, before finding a home in the South Korean K-League 1 with Jeju United in 2014. He also spent a year at Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda in 2016, making 23 appearances.
Flying largely under the radar, Jovanovic is one of Australia’s most successful exports to the tough Korean K-League, registering over 100 matches for Jeju United over two separate stints.
A free agent after the expiry of his Jeju United contract, Jovanovic joins The Bulls following a five-month deal with leading Bosnian club FK Zeljeznicar Sarajevo.
“After speaking with Ante about Macarthur FC, I knew this was an exciting opportunity to play football back in front of my family,” the giant centre-back said.
“I’m looking forward to building something special with Macarthur FC. To be part of a club’s inaugural season is something very few players get to experience. I want to be part of history; it feels like a homecoming.”
“The K-League is an extremely tough competition and has given me the opportunity to test myself against some of the best players in the world, not only in Korea but also in the AFC Champions League. To bring that experience to Macarthur is something I am really looking forward to,” Jovanovic went on to say.
Macarthur FC Head Coach Ante Milicic added: “I’ve been monitoring Aleksander for many years and have been impressed by his tenacity to carve out his path in football.”
“Aleks has that old-school footballing mentality and will add great strength to our backline. His height and awareness around the box will be valuable both in defence & attack.”
