Former Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic's response to boos from Sunderland fans

Mitrovic’s side won last night’s fourth-round replay at the Stadium of Light 3-2 – and the former Newcastle United striker set up their second goal after coming off the bench.

The 28-year-old was booed by Sunderland fans for his association with Newcastle, the club he represented and supported growing up in Serbia.

Asked about boos from Sunderland fans, the striker said: "Yeah, love it. Well, I’m a Geordie boy, so they don’t like me here! I knew it before. Good atmosphere, and I think a lot of Newcastle fans will be happy as well.”

Mitrovic spent three years at United after joining from Anderlecht in 2015, when Steve McClaren was head coach, in a £13million deal.

And the Serbia international – who has spent the past five years at Fulham – spoke about his longstanding and enduring affinity with Newcastle last month.

"After six months at Newcastle, you find out that everyone has had the same seat for 10 years – or maybe even longer,” Mitrovic told The Athletic.

“You go out to warm up, and recognise everybody in the front row. ‘How are you, my friend?’. I’d speak to people, and they’d say ‘it used to be my grandad going to matches here, next it will be my kids’.

“They live for football, you know? They live for the weekend to see their team. When friends in Serbia ask me about England, I tell them about Newcastle, because football is like a religion to these people.

“They gave me the chance to play in the Premier League, aged 20. It’s a massive club, and I still support them.

"Everything that’s happened there, with the new owner and all the money, it’s fully deserved for the fans. They are the best in England, maybe in the world.”

Mitrovic had a penalty disallowed in Newcastle’s 1-0 Premier League win over Fulham at St James’s Park last month after slipping and striking the ball twice.

“If Mitrovic touched it twice, the penalty is disallowed,” said Fulham head coach Marco Silva.