The Brisbane Roar youngster was today named as the NAB Young Footballer of the Month for October and the news delighted former Roar striker Ante Milicic who was part of the Young Socceroos coaching staff in Egypt.

"I'm pleased to hear that," Milicic told au.fourfourtwo.com. "We obviously had Tommy as part of the squad in Egypt and I don't think there's any doubt that he has a good future to look forward to.

"He is a pleasure to work with and very coachable. What stands out is that you have a player who is very good at listening to what is being said and then going out on to the field and carrying it out.

"He works extremely hard but as well as following those instructions, he has the ability to pull out something unexpected. He has that variation in his game.

"What I also like about Tommy is that he is a player who goes out there with a smile on his face. It's great to see."

Football has a habit of building up young players and placing big expectations on their shoulders but Milicic doesn't believe all the rave reviews will turn the Roar winger's head.

"I think Tommy is a level-headed young kid so that's good," said Milicic. "The challenge for him now is to become a regular for the Roar and produce consistent performances. That's the challenge for any young player of course."

With Michael Zullo poised to return from injury, Milicic believes both Reinaldo and Sergio van Dijk have plenty of reasons to smile.

"I think both Michael and Tommy are well capable of supplying the ammunition so I think there has to be goals in that team," he said.

Roar face another of Milicic's old clubs in Newcastle Jets this weekend and the current Sydney United supremo is looking forward to the clash.

He added: "Hopefully Newcastle have turned the corner with that win over Central Coast last week and Branko (Culina) has got them playing some good football."