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Injury forced Miljana Ivanović to wait for her London City Lionesses debut – but her first appearance in the Barclays Women’s Championship put the division on notice.
The Serbia international featured from the bench versus Sheffield United on Saturday [2 November], helping the team exert pressure on the Blades before Georgia Brougham ultimately provided the match-winner.
On Tuesday [5 November], the 24-year-old spoke live on BBC Radio London about her decision to join the Pride, first appearance in gold, and aspirations for the rest of the season.
Here is every word Miljana said.
You’re a Serbian international who previously played in Norway; why did you decide to come to London?
I just felt like the whole project is amazing for the team and women’s football, with Michele [Kang] supporting us the way she has. Signing a long-term contract with London City felt like a really good opportunity for me to take the next steps in my career, moving to a country with really strong leagues and competitions.
You joined on a four-year deal in the summer – that’s a big commitment from both you and the Club…
Yeah, absolutely. I saw the opportunity, I liked it, and I took it.
You made your first appearance for London City at the weekend, how did that feel?
I had been injured for quite some time and I was looking forward to coming back onto the field and playing. It was a really lovely feeling to win the match.
You were on the pitch to see the late winner, what did that mean for the team?
It was a really tough game and it’s always great to be able to help the team win. This win really meant a lot for us, just for the next steps and keeping our form in a positive direction.
I’m sure you’ll want to continue in that direction in your next match against Birmingham City…
It’s going to be a big game. They’re a strong team with lots of talented players and every match in this league is honestly a battle. I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing against them to see where we are.
Do you think the winner should believe that they can go onto win the title?
Of course – not them, but us!
You’ve been watching from the sidelines for the first part of the season – how does the football here compare to where you’ve come from?
Honestly, the league that I came from was pretty physical and it’s not that different. The football we’re playing at London City is maybe a little bit different because we like to keep the ball, with our style of play. It’s pretty physical, that’s for sure.
In your final season in Norway, you scored seven goals in twelve games – is that what you want your game to be at London City?
Yes, definitely. I’m a player who likes to score a lot of goals and I hope that I can come into the team and help London City win games by doing whatever is needed.