Debutant Milosavljevic 'slotted in perfectly alongside Senesi'

Veljko Milosavljevic celebratesImage source, Getty Images
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I don't think I was alone in considering Bournemouth's deadline day signing of Veljko Milosavljevic as 'one for the future', given he is just 18 and had a mere 27 senior appearances for Red Star Belgrade.

Football moves quick.

Because Bournemouth didn't want to take any risks with Bafode Diakite, who I was told was not 100%, the stage was set for Milosavljevic to become the club's youngest player - and the youngest Serb - to start a Premier League match.

Andoni Iraola's response when I asked him pre-match if Milosavljevic was ready to play at this level was: "I'm not sure." The honest answer will have come from only having worked with the teenager for a couple of days as a result of him being away with Serbia Under-21s.

After Saturday's 2-1 victory over Brighton, the answer in the short term is an emphatic yes.

The biggest praise has to be for his mentality. The only visible sign of nerves was the slightly awkward pre-game dressing room photo posted on Bournemouth's social media, external.

As for his performance, I wouldn't go as far as saying he is the complete package of a modern, ball-playing centre-back yet, but he was more than comfortable playing out from the back and slotted in perfectly alongside Marcos Senesi.

Clearly the quicker of the two centre-halves, Milosavljevic was more effective in dealing with Brighton's pace in behind. He can do the ugly stuff too. Despite his boyish looks, Milosavljevic more than held his own when dealing with the physicality and guile of the experienced Danny Welbeck.

Described as "one of the biggest talents in Serbian football" by media in his homeland, I'm reluctant to add to the hype train after a sample size of one Premier League game.

I'm more inclined to echo the more measured assessment of match-winner Antoine Semenyo when I asked him about his new team-mate's debut: "Solid - did everything right. A great start for him and many more to come".