Mitrovic insists he is a changed man

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.

“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.”