Dusan Tadic is settling well and even knows Matt Le Tissier’s nickname, but the big difference between Southampton and Serbia is that you get the right kind of pressure at St Mary’s

You do not have to spend long in the company of Dusan Tadic to see that he is one of life’s optimists. Tadic is relaxed in a way that is almost disarming and he has a placid demeanour that suggests that nothing is irritating enough to ruin his mood. He is not bothered by the strength training that allows his creative skills to flourish in the breathless world of the Premier League, explaining that his body is like a journalist’s pen and paper, and the prospect of not having a winter break or a proper Christmas dinner for the first time in his career is not a big deal because he is looking forward to playing in front of the packed crowds.

Tadic is not even offended that English people have been pronouncing his first name incorrectly. He laughs and says that Dushan is the way to say it. But he does not particularly mind either way.

The impression soon forms of a sweet, engaging character, and no one at Southampton has a bad word to say about their brilliant Serbia winger, whose impeccable form since his arrival in the summer has been crucial in their rise to second in the table. Instead they talk about how approachable and intelligent Tadic is; he has settled so quickly at Southampton that he refers to Matt Le Tissier as Le God. His English is excellent and he can even understand a little bit of Spanish. “When I was young, always in Serbia there were some telenovelas on television, Spanish language,” Tadic says. “Then you listen, listen, listen, you watch one series, and then you can understand.”

However, Tadic becomes hugely animated when the conversation turns to the need for players to feel free to express themselves on the pitch and he is visibly angry when he thinks of coaches who want to restrict the instinctiveness of natural talent. He flings his arms in the air and, while he does not mention anyone specifically, he says that there are a lot of coaches like that in Serbia. “They just like you to fight,” he says. “And that is it. You want to feel free. Every player can show his best when he is free. If you are a little bit afraid of something, you cannot show your best.”

It offers an insight into what makes Tadic tick. His favourite Premier League player when he was a boy was Thierry Henry and he had a soft spot for the “amazing” Arsenal sides that won titles in 2002 and 2004.

Tadic, who turns 26 a week next Thursday, is also a fan of the Dutch approach. He moved to Groningen in 2010, before joining Twente two years later, and he was able to hone his skills in Holland. He had a spell playing for Steve McClaren – “a brilliant coach” – and what attracted him to Southampton was the chance to play for Ronald Koeman, who tried to sign Tadic when he was Feyenoord’s manager.

The Dutch philosophy is one with which Tadic identifies. “Dutch coaches have an attacking philosophy,” he says. “They want to dominate the game and they want to beat every opponent with their play and the result.”

Koeman believes Tadic is at a very high technical level but his one criticism is that he does not score enough. Tadic is a pleasing blend of creative midfielder and old-fashioned winger and he has six assists for Southampton this season. Only Cesc Fàbregas has created more chances in the league but, aside from a penalty against Arsenal in the League Cup, Tadic has scored just once and, while he admits that he prefers setting up team-mates, he knows that he could be more selfish at times. Koeman wants him to be egotistical. “Sometimes I need to put my head down,” Tadic says. “My head is always up and if I see some player in a better position, I give the ball to him automatically. I know that sometimes it is better just to put my head down and shoot but I hope it is going to come.”

Tadic has been wonderful so far and Southampton feels like home. He lives in Ocean Village with his wife and his son, whose first birthday is next week. His parents, Petar and Maria, are visiting from Serbia at the moment and they will watch him against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

Tadic says Koeman approaches every game like it is a final. His preparation is meticulous and he is demanding of his players, but Tadic appreciates that kind of pressure. It is why he feels at ease in England. “Because you know when you don’t have the ball, you need to be a killer and you need to be tough,” he says. “But normally if you do have the ball you need to feel free and to create things, and to play with your head.”

Pressure took a different form in Serbia. “Sometimes in Serbia a coach will tell you something – ‘play there’ – but you cannot see better than me when I need to play the ball,” Tadic says. “There are some games with not so many supporters, and somebody tells you to play there. When you are a young player you don’t know what to do, if you don’t listen, maybe he doesn’t put you in the team.”

Tadic speaks fondly of the four years he spent at his boyhood club, Vojvodina, and says that he did not sign for Red Star Belgrade or Partizan Belgrade because the club’s colourful former president Ratko Butorovic, who was found dead in his hotel room last year, would not allow it.

It was not a problem for Tadic to stay at Vojvodina. He had a pleasant childhood in Novi Sad and joined Vojvodina in 2006. “Novi Sad is a really beautiful city and the club is really nice,” he says. “It is one of the best youth academies in Serbia.”

Yet it was intense. “When I was in Vojvodina, it is not possible to tell you,” he says. “If you play one ball bad or one little mistake they are: ‘Oh, what is that?’ Then some players are afraid to take responsibility. They don’t feel well, you don’t have freedom to show yourself. And because of that, lots of players always play better when they go somewhere else.

“You have a lot of pressure from supporters, they come, they kick players, and it is not nice. Then they don’t pay you your money on time, then you need to fight for your money. Then you don’t think, you are not just focused about football. In this country you are just focused on football and you have nice pressure. In Serbia it is amazing pressure. When we lose a game, it is like somebody dies, it is really horrible. They put us in hotels after the match, and this is crazy.”

Tadic played in last month’s abandoned Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania. “They are not good memories. When you come on the pitch you just want to play and show your opponent you are better than them.”

He did not know what was happening when a drone bearing a flag for Greater Albania was hovering over the pitch. “I saw just some flag,” he says. “But people also said, you know, this could be a bomb. I was not scared, I was surprised at how it is possible this can happen. But we need to forget it.”

Serbia were docked three points by Uefa following those violent scenes but it would be a shame if Tadic never makes it to a major tournament. As Koeman says, he is the kind of player fans pay good money to see.