Comparisons with Vidic and Ivanovic – who is Newcastle new boy Pivas?

When 19-year-old Serbian defender Miodrag Pivas from FC Jedinstvo Ub got a transfer to Newcastle United, the first reaction of many football fans in his homeland was: who?

Even the internet, which usually holds all the answers, does not help much.

That is because the youngster got his move to the Magpies without playing a minute of action in the Serbia top flight – but instead as one of the best players in the second tier.

Jedinstvo – a club from Ub, a city located about 60km south of the capital Belgrade and with a population of only 25,000 – achieved a first promotion to the Serbian Super Liga in their 104-year history.

This was huge success for a team that just a couple of years ago played in the fourth tier!

And the man who took over the club in 2016 and helped change everything is a familiar face to Premier League followers: former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic.

As a defender and defensive midfielder, Pivas hugely contributed to the side’s historic campaign.

While the media highlight his composure and strength, Matic even compares him with Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Vidic, former defensive stars at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.

“I didn’t know what came over me when I saw that. It took me some time to accept those words and process them properly, in order to keep calm and not get my head in the clouds,” Pivas said.

Before Jedinstvo, the teenager played in Austria and got a few caps for Serbia Under-17s.

Now he is the first Serbian at Newcastle since Aleksandar Mitrovic, who he watched while growing up.

“He’s a true legend. I want to try to follow in his footsteps, but also the footsteps of Vidic and Ivanovic. I really think I can be like them,” Pivas added.