Alexander Milosevic: who is the new Portsmouth defender? Why was he a free agent? How can he aid the Blues' Championship survival hopes?

The centre-back has been brought in as emergency cover following the recent injuries picked up by Rob Atkinson, Hayden Matthews and Conor Shaughnessy - and could feature against Leeds on Sunday if the Blues receive international clearance on time.

The defender brings a wealth of experience to a Pompey side still needing points to retain their Championship status.

But before the Fratton faithful head to Google or Wikipedia to see exactly who the newest member of John Mousinho’s squad is, he spoke to the Swedish journalist who broke the news of Milosevic’s transfer on Friday afternoon.

Here’s what Daniel Kristoffersson (@DKristoffersson) had to say about Milosevic as he provided a detailed lowdown on what Pompey fans can expect from their latest signing.

So what can you tell us about Alexander Milosevic?

Alexander Milosevic is a great Swedish player. He has been in the national team before, but not for four or five years.

He's a great character. He was the captain of AIK, an extremely popular player among the fans. He’s a hard-working guy, has good positional play.

He’s maybe not the fastest player in the league, but I think he's a decent player for the Championship.

I don't know much about his current match fitness, because he hasn't played the game for some time (since November). But if he comes in the right shape, he will be a good signing I think.

What are his main attributes?

He has pretty good feet. If you look at YouTube, you’ll see some amazing goals he’s scored.

‘So he's good with his feet, has good positioning and good heading. He likes to play aggressive, is good in the duels, and while he’s now not that fast, he’s not slow either!

Pompey like their defenders to play out from the back. You said that he's good with his feet. Does that mean he's got a good range of passing in his armory?

Yes, exactly. He's good at passing, he was the central defender in AIK. and handled a lot of their upcoming play, passing from the backline.

AIK had a new trainer and a new sporting director and when they said Alexander would not get a new contract, the supporters were very angry.

Is that why he was a free agent? Was he not wanted by the AIK head coach or sporting director?

When they didn't give him an offer, they said the club hadn’t the economy (finances) to give him the right offer because he was the captain. So that's why they didn't want to give him an offer and be embarrassed.

So I think that was a little bit to protect themselves, because Milosevic has a very strong reputation among the fans and the players.

So how exactly did his departure go down with the fans?

They were angry.

How quickly have Pompey moved to land Milosevic?

Today I heard it. But I know he had offers from Cyprus also, that he rejected.

And then I broke the story. His father put on a picture on Facebook when Alex was in the Portsmouth press conference room. He was wearing a Portsmouth shirt and was waiting to do the medical.

It's a contract for the summer, I think, and then with an option.

He’s clearly a player with a vast amount of experience who could beneficial to Pompey between now and the end of the season!

Yes, I think so. I saw that Portsmouth are eight points clear of relegation. I think that he will be a good signing for Portsmouth. But the only problem I see is how fast he will come to match fitness, because he hasn't played since November.

I think you have to give him some weeks to get in match fitness and get in real good shape, but he's easy trained. I saw on his Instagram and his social media that he has been working very hard to prepare for this move.

Even though he's 33, do you think he's got the capabilities of extending his stay in Portsmouth?

Yes, of course, because, as I say, he's very easy trained, he has a light body, not so heavy, and he has a great understanding of the game.

He's an experienced defender who can come in and do well.

If he comes to his best, I think he will be there for a few more years. But it all depends on how it goes and in which shape he is now, of course.

You mentioned there was interest from Cyprus. Was there any interest from clubs within Sweden or any other countries?

He is so connected to AIK, so he could not go to another Swedish club. You could compare him to Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. So to go elsewhere in Sweden, it was not an option because of his AIK commitment.

For your next Pompey read: Portsmouth boss explains Sweden international defender's appeal as he arrives on free transfer ahead of Leeds game