Born: Smederevo, Serbia, 16 September 1994
Position: Centre forward
International caps: 79
International goals: 52
Signed: 1 February 2018 from Newcastle United (loan); 30 July 2018 from Newcastle United (£22m)
Fulham debut: Fulham 2-0 Nottingham Forest, 3 February 2018
Fulham appearances: 206
Fulham goals: 111
Honours: EFL Championship winner (2021-22), EFL Championship play-off final winner (2018; 2020).
Aleksandar Mitrovic made an immediate impact after arriving at Craven Cottage on loan from Newcastle in February 2018, firing Fulham to promotion via the play-offs with twelve goals in sixteen games. Serbia’s all-time leading goalscorer moved to SW6 late on transfer deadline day after seeing a return to former club Anderlecht fall through, but he was delighted to be reunited with his compatriot Slavisa Jokanovic.
Mitrovic scored a creditable eleven goals in 39 games as Fulham failed to compete in the top flight in 2018/2019, but fired in 26 goals in 41 appearances as they bounced back straightaway the following season. He was benched bewilderingly by Scott Parker as the Whites needed goals to stay up in 2020 and considered leaving the club before being convinced to stay by Marco Silva. The talismanic number nine went on to break Guy Whittingham’s post-war second tier scoring record by plundering 43 goals in 46 appearances and ended any debate about his effectiveness in the top flight, hitting nine goals in twelve games during an injury-hit start to the 2021/22 campaign.
He memorably headed Serbia to the World Cup with a last-minute winner over Portugal in Lisbon and enjoys a special bond with the Fulham fanbase. Mitrovic has passed a century of Fulham goals and has to be considered as one of the club’s finest ever forwards.
