'It's hard to speak about Marco' Aleksandar Mitrovic reveals Fulham guilt and Newcastle United regret

Mitrovic signed for Newcastle at the age of 20 having spent the previous 18 months scoring regularly for RSC Anderlecht, but could not prevent the Magpies' relegation to the Championship during his first season at St. James' Park.

His spell on Tyneside was a mixed one, not always trusted to lead the line by manager Rafael Benitez, and he subsequently joined Fulham, initially on loan.

At Craven Cottage, he scored 12 in 20 appearances during his loan spell, making his switch permanent in the summer of 2018.

Aleksandar Mitrovic: 'I felt guilty after Newcastle and Fulham relegations'

He added a further 99 goals for the West Londoners, most notably during the 2021/22 campaign under Marco Silva in which he netted a staggering 43 times in 46 appearances.

"It's hard to speak about Marco, because we have a really good connection," Mitrovic told FlashScore.

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"He wasn't just my coach; I consider him a friend as well. We talk often, every few weeks we have a chat about football and life. For me, he's one of the best managers I've ever had the privilege to work with.

"There is not just one thing to pinpoint, I think he is amazing in every aspect - tactics, man-management, he sees football really well. He's an amazing guy, and I honestly don't know how he's not in a top club yet."

Silva has been Fulham boss since 2021, leading the team back to the Premier League and keeping them there ever since.

Mitrovic, 31, believes the Portuguese coach deserves a crack at a 'bigger' job.

"Nothing against Fulham, it's a great club that I really love, but I think he should manage a team like Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester United, a side that should fight for the Champions League. I think he's done a great job at Fulham and hopefully he will soon reach even greater heights."

These days, Mitrovic plies his trade for Qatar Stars League club Al-Rayyan. It follows two seasons in Saudi Arabia where Mitrovic represented Al-Hilal, scoring 68 goals in 79 appearances.

The striker is now used to challenging for top division titles in the Middle East, which wasn't the case in England, instead suffering the ignominy of relegation on three occasions.

"When you get relegated, you feel kind of guilty. Doesn't matter how much you play; you're a part of the squad that got relegated. I always wanted to make it right and bring Newcastle and then Fulham back. Both these clubs are amazing, and I think they should compete in Europe.

"I'm glad they're doing well now. Newcastle has had a few really good seasons, reached the Champions League, and Fulham wasn't far away from European places either, and I hope in the future they will get there.

"You can see I love both clubs, and still follow and support them. So at the times of the relegations, I didn't want to leave them because I felt good and loved there, even at times when we were in the second division, I felt the fans wanted me to stay.

"I went there [Newcastle] a little bit young and experienced. I was 20, 21 years old and playing the best league in the world; I didn't have a lot of time to adapt."