Nemanja Vidic hopes that Nottingham Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic can become a larger defender than he.
In December Milenkovic only scored two minutes in the 3-2 victory over Manchester United-de Club where Vidic made his name and was worshiped.
While the two parties are preparing to meet again tonight, with Forest in third place and United in the 13th, both spoke about the comparisons between themselves.
“It’s of course,” Vidic told BBC Sport. “Maybe I raised the bar for defenders. But the bar that I put there should be broken.
“The new generation from Serbia will look at the way I played, but their goal is to do better than in my career.”
During his time at United, Vidic won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a Champions League and a Club World Cup. On an individual level, he was twice named Premier League Player of the Year – an honor shared by only Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry – and was shown four times in the League team of the year.
Milenkovic, who previously called his ‘idol’ of Vidic, acknowledged that matching those achievements may not be realistic, but it is something he nevertheless dreams of.
He said: “He set the standards for defenders in Serbia. He is our best player ever and I grew up watching the videos of his games.
“It was his leadership on the field and the way he played. He was willing to sacrifice for other players, to do everything to do not give a goal, to live for a clean magazine. This is what I took from him.
🗣️ “We have to keep our feet on the ground!”@Nffc‘Speaking with Nikola Milenkovic @Aarransumers About growing @Cchampionslaguaye Buzz in Forest, prior to Tuesday @premierleague clash @Manutd.#beinpl #NFomun #Nffc 🌳 pic.twitter.com/lyanmw38su
– Bone Sports (@beinsports_en) March 31, 2025
“His reading of the game was also very good. He was a very intelligent player and really aggressive on the field.”
Although Vidic and Milenkovic have never met, the United Legend has monitored his career, after his development from his early days in Partizan Belgrade, for seven seasons with Fiorentina in Serie A, for his move to Forest for £ 12 million last summer.
Milenkovic has been nominated for the Premier League’s month for March, which contributes to Forest’s impressive FA Cup semi -final run.
“He is a great representative for Serbian football,” Vidic added. “He is a good example for how players should behave and work hard to try to succeed and to keep their career.
“He likes to defend and has improved much in terms of the tactical side because he played in Italy.
“It’s not fair to compare [with me]. He has his own skills and has a good career. He is 27 and for a defender who is still young.
“It’s good to say:” When I was young, Vidic was the target I wanted to strive for “. But players have to push themselves to go even higher than their idols and the people they are compared to.
“He is 27. I came to England when I was 24 or 25. He has much more to give.”
