GELSENKIRCHEN: Aleksandar Mitrovic (pic) has been one of the Saudi Pro League’s most successful imports and the Serbian striker believes he can carry that form into Euro 2024 to shock England today.
Mitrovic spent eight years in England at Newcastle and Fulham before forcing through a move to the riches and sunnier climes of Saudi Arabia 12 months ago.
Amid a flurry of star names headed to the Gulf kingdom, including Al Hilal team-mate Neymar, Mitrovic’s move largely went under the radar.
But Neymar’s serious knee injury left the Serb to spearhead an unbeaten season as Al Hilal won the treble of league, Super Cup and King’s Cup - victory in the final of the latter leaving Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo in tears.
The 29-year-old has scored 40 goals in 43 games and far from winding down into retirement in the Middle East, thinks the move has conditioned him into the best shape of his life in time for the Euros.
“So far, I’ve felt the best I’ve felt in my life - physically and mentally,” he told The Times.
“I play a lot more games than I used to play at Fulham and here I play in the best team and I am scoring a lot of goals. I play almost every game. If you put that with a lot of winning then I can continue to play like that for my country.”
Already Serbia’s all-time top goalscorer by a distance, Mitrovic has netted 58 times in 91 caps.
His partnership with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic will be key to how far Serbia can go in Germany in their first-ever European Championship as an independent nation.
England boss Gareth Southgate has admitted his side lack a dominant presence in the air in the absence of the injury Harry Maguire, a weakness that Mitrovic’s power looks ripe to exploit.
But based on Serbia’s performance in qualifying, there is little for the Three Lions to fear.
Dragan Stojkovic’s side won just four of their eight qualifiers, finishing a distant second to Hungary and just three points ahead of neighbours Montenegro. - AFP
