Mitrovic insists he is a changed man
After an ill-disciplined start to his Newcastle United career, Aleksandar Mitrovic has vowed to keep his cool.
Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic insists he has changed his approach following his early showings of ill-discipline.
Mitrovic - signed from Anderlecht in July - received bookings in his first two matches and was then sent off in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal back in August.
The Serbia international was banned for three games, all of which Newcastle lost, but returned against Chelsea last Saturday and delivered a much improved performance as Steve McClaren's men threw away a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw.
And the 21-year-old is adamant he will channel his aggression in a better way from now on.
Mitrovic said: "It has been a very difficult few weeks but I am back now and I have learnt a lot and will never do the same again. I can control myself because I don't want to get any more red cards.
"Maybe in other countries I would not have been sent off but these are the rules and I know I cannot break them. I am not the first and won't be the last two get a red card but rules are rules and I need to respect them.
"I know I can play smart for the whole game and I think I showed that against Chelsea. OK, I didn't score but I still kept on working as hard as I could.
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"It's very difficult when you get a lot of kicks from defenders but you have to stay calm and think about how to score goals. They kick you all game but that is my position and I have to deal with it and keep working on the mental side of things."