Zlatkovic comfortable on the field and 'easy' on the eye

BG Tampines Rovers' Milos Zlatkovic may be listed as a defender on the team sheet, but watching him in action reveals that he offers much more to the Stags.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

On Oct 29, the Serb made significant contributions at both ends of the pitch, scoring the second goal and helping secure a clean sheet as Tampines recorded a 3-0 win over eastern derby rivals Geylang International in the Singapore Premier League at Jalan Besar Stadium.

The victory ended the Stags' six-match winless streak in the league and moved them within three points of table toppers Lion City Sailors, who have a game in hand.

Since joining Tampines in 2023, Zlatkovic has played at left-back and in the heart of the Stags' defence but has often stepped into central midfield when his team are in possession, a role that he once again fulfilled admirably to help the Stags dominate the middle of the park against the Eagles.

His movements are similar to the tactics employed by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, where centre-back John Stones often slots into midfield to help City gain a numerical advantage in attack.

However, it was the clean sheet against the league's top-scoring side that pleased the 27-year-old the most, given that it was the team's first in seven SPL matches.