17 matchday squad call-ups, 15 appearances, 14 of which over the full 90 minutes. To add to this, a senior team debut for the Serbia national side put the cherry on top of the cake for Milos Veljkovic in the first half the season. Personally, things are going well for the 22 year old, who feels right at home on the Weser and is ambitious about his future.
“I was a regular in the first half of the season, which I got from being patient and working hard,” commented Veljkovic on his current role in the team. But just like in every other Bundesliga side, the here and now matters much more than the past. Therefore, the number of games he has already played this campaign will not see him take his foot off the gas, but will serve as an incentive to put even more effort in. “The most important thing for me now is to not let up. I have to keep at it and keep performing in every training session and game. I know that I am nowhere near the limit of my development. If I continue like this, I have great hope that I will carry on playing,” said the centre-back.
Getting as much playing time as possible is, of course, what footballers strive for. When Veljkovic moved from Tottenham Hotspur as a promising youngster to Werder almost two years ago, he was forced to wait for his chance. In the 2015/16 season, the curly-haired defender only made three brief appearances in the first team. It was not an easy time for Veljovic, which he himself admits: “It was definitely hard for me. Now and again, I got frustrated and thought things over a lot. But I knew that had to stay calm and keep working on myself – that’s what I did.”
Both Alexander Nouri and current head coach Florian Kohfeldt both put their faith in the Swiss, who comes across as very mature for his age on the pitch. “I try to learn this coolness from the experienced players. Niklas Moisander radiates calmness for example, and that has had a positive impact on me,” he explained.
Despite all his modesty, it seems Milos Veljkovic is only on his way up, and he should continue his development as a Green-White. “I can only say that I feel very good in Bremen. I see my future at Werder so I am focusing my attention completely on the tasks that the team is facing.” A statement which is sure to bring a smile to the faces of all Werder fans.
