NEW Ballarat Red Devils football manager Danny Milosevic insists his playing days are over, confirming he will not take the pitch next season.
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The 35-year-old former goal-keeper, who was in Ballarat this week to familiarise himself with the city that will become home early in 2014, will instead focus his attention on developing the Red Devils as they look to secure a licence in the Victorian National Premier Leagues competition.
“I’ve had my time, my day in the sun. It’s time to move on and it’s up to the young boys now,” Milosevic told The Courier.
“It’s basically my body. I still want to be able to chase my son around and it’s not feasible anymore for me to play.
“I’ll have involvement in training with the boys and try to demonstrate a few things.”
Milosevic, who spent a number of years with English Premier League club Leeds United during a long career at an elite level, said one of his immediate tasks was to assist in the appointment of a new senior coach.
“The coach is important and (needs to be) someone that I have a lot of trust in, someone that has got experience in the game,” he said.
“It’s a chance to ply your trade. If you said to someone ‘you’re going to be the coach and take the reins of a progressive club like Ballarat’, who wouldn’t jump at that opportunity?
“I understand about geography, but I believe in this project, that’s why I am leaving Perth to come here.
“I believe in the people behind it, I believe in the players.”
Milosevic, who was goal-keeper for Australia at the 2000 Olympics, flew out for Perth late last night and hopes to make a permanent move to Ballarat in early January.
“You look at the new facility (Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility at Morshead Park) and you’ve got pretty much everything, everything here that can lead to starting something successful,” Milosevic said.
“It’s about building a process for the future ... we are developing players where they are going on to the A-League.
“There’s no excuse now why Ballarat can’t be a force to be reckoned with.”
tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au