The former Melbourne Victory man's stint in the Hunter so far has not been without controversy with some heated moments with teammatesand van Egmond himself during training.

The player himself makes no apologies for demanding excellence from himself and those around him.

He returned to the side after suspension last night and his performance helped Newcastle earn a crucial victory over Beijing Guoan - a win that leaves Newcastle only needing a draw to qualify for the last 16 of the competition.

Van Egmond says player and club will sit down and talk about the future once the group stage is completed and he is keen to extend his stay.

"Ljubo has been very effective for us and the club will look at the (contract) situation once the ACL has finished.

"Hopefully we have a situation where both parties realise that one has benefited the other," van Egmond told au.fourfourtwo.com.

The coach admits there is never a dull moment in training when Milicevic is on the pitch and while his approach might not be universally accepted by his colleagues van Egmond says the vocals are the player's way of striving for excellence.

"Ljubo wants to win and he wants things to be done in the best way they can be," said van Egmond. "That means in the game and also in training.

"He doesn't see any excuses for half-heartedness or people going through the motions. He hates losing and although the way he goes about getting his message across might occasionally see him taken the wrong way, he just wants to win.

"You want people to have passion and that desire to do things well."