Who is Milos Veljkovic?

Article By Nathan Durec

 

Last week’s match against Sunderland saw Tim Sherwood go back to his Tottenham youth knowledge and bring 18-year-old Milos Veljkovic on for his first taste of Premier League football. It was a two minute substitution that the youth prospect will remember for a lifetime. However, it also creates even more confusion in an already convoluted Spurs’ midfield.

 

Veljkovic has been with the club for almost three years, having made the switch from his hometown club, FC Basel in Switzerland. The dual Swiss-Serbian national has also been capped at the U-19s level for Serbia. He is a versatile player, originally trained as a centre back before transitioning into a deeper midfield role. This has given the ball-handling defensive player a versatility that many lack.

But what is Tottenham to do with a first team squad that has numerous midfield options? Veljkovic’s name being added to the mix of options means that other more experienced players may be left out a fighting chance just to sit on the sub’s bench. Sherwood has already shown his affinity for bringing up the youth, with Kane adding to his tally of minutes and Bentaleb becoming a common fixture as a go-to sub and occasional starter. It stands to reason that Veljkovic will be awarded more minutes as the season comes to a rapid close and Sherwood feels less of a need to fight for a manager job that has, allegedly, already been given away to someone else.

There are potentially more openings in the centre back position, with questions about Vertonghen’s desire to remain at White Hart Lane and Dawson’s age. However, Veljkovic’s height is an issue. He is not quite 6 ft. That and his ball-handling abilities have prompted the move to midfield.

There is also the future to consider. Being only 18 years old means that Veljkovic has more than enough time to develop. A few decent loan spells over the next couple of years will give him that needed first squad football and continue his progression. By then, Tottenham may have a space for him. It would be a shame to prematurely judge what could be a quality player for the future. But for right now, the space in Tottenham’s midfield is limited.

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