Though currently out with a minor injury, the Serbian striker found time to talk to us about his move to Qatar, his time at Newcastle and Fulham, his thoughts on manager Marco Silva, and the current situation of the Serbian national team.
Flashscore caught up with Aleksandar Mitrovic during our visit to the Qatar Stars League at the training centre of his new club, Al Rayyan.
You joined Al Rayyan after two years in the Saudi league. What made you switch from Saudi Arabia to Qatar?
"A lot of things. I came to a club that has big potential, wants to grow and win trophies. I arrived here from a league where I also played for a big club that won a lot of silverware.
"The people from Al Rayyan wanted me, I really liked the project, the way they're thinking and talking about football... Hopefully, we can achieve a lot together."
What are your first impressions of football and life in Qatar, and playing for Al Rayyan?
"Very lovely. It's a little bit calmer, with fewer people on the street and less traffic. Football-wise, we have great facilities, training grounds, it's amazing. I think we have everything to enjoy football and succeed.
"The club hasn't won a trophy in seven or eight years, and I hopefully can help change that."
You spent eight years in England. What do you bring to Al Rayyan?
"I think I'm in my best age now. I've been through a lot, in England, with the national team at the World Cups and the Euros... Hopefully, with my experience, I can help my teammates, especially the younger players, raise the level of performance.
"My main job here is to score goals and help the team win the games. Hopefully, I can do that, but I also help out and give advice at the training ground."
You spent a lot of time at Newcastle. What are your memories of that time? Was there added pressure knowing every number nine at Newcastle is inevitably going to be compared to Alan Shearer, one of the best Premier League strikers ever?
"I didn't feel any pressure around that. It was nice, Newcastle is a club I've always really liked. It has had a special place in my heart since I started following football. Maybe because of the colour of the shirt, because the team I support in Serbia also play in black and white. When I got to Newcastle, I understood that for the people there, football is almost like a religion.
"They live for football. It was my first love in football, though I went there a little bit young and inexperienced. I was 20, 21 years old and playing the best league in the world; I didn't have a lot of time to adapt. Maybe it didn't go exactly as I planned, but we still created some great memories and connections with the fans. I still have a lot of friends there."
You played for Fulham under Marco Silva. He's one of the longest-serving managers currently in the Premier League. What do you think makes him a good Premier League coach?
"It's hard to speak about Marco, because we have a really good connection. 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.
"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."
You stayed in Newcastle through a relegation. You stayed in Fulham through two relegations. Did you consider leaving for a top division club, or did you want to cement your legacy for the clubs where you were playing?
"To be honest, 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."
You've already played for 12 years in the Serbian national team. Is the World Cup next year the ultimate goal you want to achieve with the team?
"Hopefully, but nothing really depends on us now. We dropped some points where we shouldn't have, and now we have two tough games with Latvia and especially in England. We have to try to get the best possible results to stay alive and push the teams in front of us.
"I think we have a good squad, good young players, and we've already done some great things together before. If we have at least a small chance, we have to fight and then see what happens."
How would you describe the era of the national team under Dragan Stojkovic, who resigned after the loss to Albania?
"It's an unfortunate end for him, because he did a really good job with the national team. We played at two World Cups, got to the Euros after more than 20 years. I think he even has the most wins out of all the coaches in our national team's history.
"Of course, we also had some bad parts on our journey together, but that's football, that's life... We're thankful for everything he did, and now we look into the future. The new manager will have a good squad with talented young players. So let's see what happens."