Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has said he underestimated the standard of the Championship before the start of the season, and he admits he has found the physicality of the English second tier hard to cope with.
Despite not scoring many goals or playing many games, the 22 year old says he is a better player for the experience, and he feels he is now well prepared to play in other leagues. The Serbian is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying:
“I haven’t played every game, so I have had a lot of time to learn next to Dwight [Gayle] and [Daryl] Murphy. They are two really good strikers, different types, so I can learn from both.”
“Like I said, I haven’t played, I haven’t scored goals, but I have learnt a lot from the guys and from this league. It’s been very hard and this will make me a better player for sure, and in the future with this experience I have had in the Championship, I can play easily in other leagues. I didn’t really expect a hard league like this.”
Mitrovic put in a shift against Preston North End last night but didn’t manage to hit the back of the net in the 4-1 win. The forward has scored six goals, and provided five assists in 27 games in all competitions, but has been overshadowed by the likes of Gayle who is the club’s top goalscorer with 22 goals this season.
The Serbian will no doubt be hoping his experiences of the Championship will hold him in good stead when playing back in the Premier League next campaign.
