Sydney FC stars Luke Brattan and Michael Zullo join Macarthur FC wishlist after Ninkovic snub
Beware Sydney FC. A-League newcomers Macarthur FC may have failed in their bid to land Milos Ninkovic, but they still have their sights set on two other Sky Blues stars.
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Update: Little more than two months ago he was contemplating the swansong of his career, but his success this campaign has startled Milos Ninkovic into planning for seasons into the future.
Sydney FC’s former Johnny Warren medallist will be at the club for another two years after rejecting overtures from start-up side Macarthur FC and re-signing with the champions for what is certain to be the residue of his playing career.
Admitting he had agonized over the choice, with a longer and more lucrative deal on the table from Macarthur, Ninkovic revealed that even he had been surprised by his own form and fitness – less than a week before he turns 35.
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The Serb has been to the fore in Sydney’s title defence, prompting Macarthur to seek to make him a foundation player ahead of their debut season.
“It was a very hard decision – on one side Sydney FC has been my home for so many years, and I have an unbelievable relationship with the players, the staff and the fans,” he said.
“On the other I had a good offer (from Macarthur), and I have a family who I have to look after.
“But in the end, in the time I have been at Sydney FC, the people here aren’t just who I work with, they’re my friends. That’s probably the main reason I stayed.
“It’s a champion team, and you know that every year you will be fighting for the top position. So now I’m just glad that everything is settled and I can move on. It’s been a really tough week, knowing I had to make a decision.
“I want to thank Sydney for the opportunity to finish my career with them, but also Macarthur for the offer – I spoke to Ante Milicic, a nice guy, very honest, and I wish them all the best.”
Ninkovic revealed that his form this year had prompted him to look to the future, despite having said on the eve of the season that he would stop playing the moment he felt his standards dropping.
“At my age you can’t really plan anything,” he said. “But even I’ve been surprised by the stats, by how much I’ve been running
“It’’s better than last year, and for now I feel great. Maybe next year I’ll feel terrible! But I need to give credit to my teammates, a good group of people. They are the reason I am playing well.
“A couple of days ago I spoke to my wife, and said to her that I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire. I really love football and want to keep playing as long as I can.
“Next week I’ll be 35. The end might not be so close but you never know in football.”
However Sydney face a similar battle to keep Ninkovic’s teammates Michael Zullo and Luke Brattan out of the clutches of their newly noisy neighbours.
Though Zullo has played only three games this season after suffering a quad injury on the back of a virus, he has been hugely consistent for the champions over the past three seasons.
Brattan meanwhile has been outstanding for the Sky Blues since effectively swapping clubs with Josh Brillante, and both players are in the sights of several A-League rivals.
Brattan is unlikely to rush into any decision over his future as he deals with family issues that have taken his focus in recent weeks, though he retains ambitions of playing in Europe after one abortive attempt on the books of Manchester City.
“I’ve told the club I don’t want to talk about it (a new deal) at the moment, I’ve had some problems off the field, I’ve had a few issues with my family,” Brattan said.
“I’m very happy where I am, it’s a great culture, a great club, (but) I’m not thinking about that at the moment. Time will deal with that.
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“Sydney has proven that they’re the best over the last four years. My personal preference is getting the best out of me and the happiest I can be for me and my family. My family is number one.”
Asked about Macarthur’s interest, Brattan added: “I haven’t really thought about that at all, I’m a Sydney FC player, I’m enjoying every minute and I’m very happy where I am.
“Of course, I’ve got to consider all things, I’m not young anymore and my family is my number one preference.
“My goal still is to play overseas. I wasn’t very successful in England. I’d still like to go overseas and test myself abroad.
“The Asian Champions League will be a good test, it’s a good market and we want to do well in the ACL, we’ve put together a good squad.”
Originally published as Sydney FC stars Luke Brattan and Michael Zullo join Macarthur FC wishlist after Ninkovic snub