Marko Stamenic is “totally prepared” for life in the Championship with Coventry City, says Red Star Belgrade coach Nenad Milijas.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder is currently in charge of Red Star’s youth team and has spoken about the New Zealand international’s qualities as yet more details emerge in the Serbian press of a reported €5m (£4.2m) move to the Sky Blues. City, in contrast, are keeping tight-lipped on the subject, unable to confirm or deny the speculation.
In a report in zurnal.rs, it claims: “Marko Stamenić will play next season in Coventry, a member of the English Championship, for many of the strongest second leagues in the world,” before naming a number of former Red Star, otherwise known as FK Crvena Zvezda, players who have successfully made moves to England – Nikola Jovanović, Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United), Vladimir Petrović Pižon (Arsenal), Darko Kovačević (Sheffield Wednesday), Dejan Stefanović (Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Fulham, Norwich) and Nenad Milijaš (Wolves).
The latter is current coach of the ‘red and white’ youth team and is said to be not surprised by Stamenić’s departure to the UK.
“Crvena zvezda does very good transfers. The way of working has changed a lot in the transition period,” said the 41-year-old, who played 62 Premier League games for Wolves between 2009-2012.
“Stamenić is a quality player who showed quality at the beginning and end of his stay at the Maracana. I hope he does well in Coventry.”
Insisting that the move will suit the 22-year-old central midfielder, he added: “Marko is not from our climate and I believe that he will fit in very quickly. I mean the language, his mother tongue is English, that’s why he is totally prepared.”
And Milijaš insists Stamenić will hit the ground running and cope with the rigours of the English Championship.
“Marko is excellently prepared, even for a tough league such as the Championship,” he said. “He will have no problems with the physical requirements, the rest will be helped by the people from the club so that he can play well for Coventry from the first game.”
