A man who can make the Hillsborough dreams come true...

THE impact of Milan Mandaric's reign at Portsmouth was such that the grateful supporters still sing out his name to this day.

'Milan, there's only one Milan... there's only one Milan...' is often belted out down at Fratton Park with as much gusto as a healthy rendition of the 'Pompey Chimes'. A lasting legacy of his impact on a club he completely transformed.

Similar to the way in which Manchester United fans still honour Eric Cantona with their own rendition of the Marseilleise, Mandaric is regarded as something of a legend down on the south coast and, if truth be told, many were desperately hoping he would return to them.

At a recent game between his then-club Leicester and Pompey, the Fratton faithful courted him with song after song, almost pleading with him to return and sort out the financial mess created upon his departure.

His Foxes were losing 6-1 at the time, but he still had the good grace to smile and give his former subjects a wave or two.

Their loss, of course, is now very much the gain of Sheffield Wednesday, who have finally, it seems, solved their money troubles by selling up to the Serbian-American in a deal which cost just less than 8m.

The nitty-gritty will, no doubt, be discussed in more detail over the coming days and there is also the issue of Mandaric getting his bid ratified by the shareholders.

But insiders do not believe there will be any late hitches and it is understood that the man himself is eager to get started as soon as possible.

Mandaric is not the sort of person to stand around waiting for an invite to get cracking. The 72-year-old has a reputation for being no-nonsense when it comes to business, and he will certainly need all of his past experience to drag Wednesday out of their current turmoil.

The Owls narrowly avoided a winding-up order two weeks ago when they were granted a 28-day adjournment by the High Court over an unpaid PAYE bill of 600,000.

Those working to try and save the club have been keen to conclude a takeover deal before a scheduled return to the High Court on Wednesday to face another winding-up order from HM Revenue and Customs over an unpaid 300,000 VAT bill.

It was said that Mandaric did not return to Portsmouth because he felt the club was 'in too much of a mess'. It can only be hoped that by agreeing to take control of Wednesday, he can see a light at the end of what has been a very long and depressing tunnel at S6.

So what exactly do we know about Mandaric? What impact will he have on this fallen Hillsborough giant? And what will the supporters make of him?

One man who knows him well and worked with him during his time at Pompey is chief sports writer of the Portsmouth Evening News Neil Allen, who believes Mandaric is a special kind of football club owner.

"Pompey fans wanted him back because they trusted him to do the best for their club," he said. "He is charismatic, he is passionate about the game of football and he really does care about the supporters and what they think.

"Not many owners are as open or as interested in dealing with the supporters as he is. The Wednesday fans can expect him to communicate with them very well, both through the press and also in person. He enjoys having that link with the fans.

"It never quite worked out for him at Leicester in that sense. The fans never once sang his name and I think that irked him a little bit, he never felt appreciated for what he had done for the club.

"He will love the idea of transforming the fortunes of a sleeping giant and if the fans support him, then he will want to do the best he can for the fans."

Mandaric will, however, expect success. His impatience is well-known within the football community... just ask the many managers he has dismissed during his time in the English game.

He is a man who often gets what he wants.

Whether it was growing up in the city of Novi Sad where he ran his father's machine shop mass-producing car spares, or as one of the pioneers responsible for building up California's Silicon Valley in the 1970s, this Serbian-born American citizen craves success.

He took Portsmouth, a mid-table Championship side with little ambition and a small ground with poor facilities, and turned them into a Premier League team.

He laid the groundwork for their success in the FA Cup and their adventures in Europe... he made dreams come true for supporters who will forever thank him.

Imagine what he could do with a club the size of Sheffield Wednesday.

Wednesday fans hold your breath, you could be in for one hell of a ride.

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