Source: Liverpool_Echo
Milan Jovanovic hits the big time with move to Liverpool
Milan Jovanovic [LNB]SITUATED in the valley of the Drina river, in the shadow of the beautiful Tara Mountain, where nature-loving tourists come to visit Serbia's largest natural park, the town of Bajina Basta is about as far removed from the hustle and bustle of modern day football as you can get.[LNB]Virtually destroyed during World War II, and shelled occasionally during the Bosnian War of the 1990s, it is a city with a traumatic history. Yet it was here that Liverpool's latest star learned his trade.[LNB]Milan Jovanovic has come a long way since the days living in fear of another attack from the Bosniaks. A physically precocious youngster, with a cultured left-foot, it was not long before his parents realised FK Sloga - Bajina Basta's local side - were not the club to harness their son's obvious gifts, and made the choice to head for the bright lights of Serbia's bigger cities.[LNB]It was a decision which paid off. The Jovanovics headed for the northern city of Novi Sad, on the banks of the Danube, where the young Milan's career started to take off. He joined FK Vojvodina, one of Serbian football's oldest clubs and one which helped hone the talents of Sinisa Mihajlovic, Gojko Kacar and Milos Krasic, amongst others.[LNB] Though Vojvodina traditionally lag behind the Serbian powerhouse duo of Crvena Zvezda (formerly Red Star Belgrade) and Partizan Belgrade, Jovanovic's performances consistently caught the eye.[LNB]Both the Belgrade clubs were interested, but Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk secured the 22-year-old's signature in the summer of 2003.[LNB]Unfortunately for Jovanovic, his dream move was more like a nightmare. Shakhtar were an emerging force, shaping a side which would dominate domestically but Jovanovic found first-team opportunities limited. He would make just six appearances in his solitary season, scoring one goal, before moving across the former Soviet Union to join Lokomotiv Moscow.[LNB]It was a similar story there. Jovanovic did pick up a Russian league winners' medal in 2004, but he was very much a fringe player.
