When Aleksandar Mitrovic tells you he would have been a “criminal or a kick boxer” if he was not playing football for Newcastle United, there is menace in his words. After all, Mitrovic is a violent man.

A physical, combative and confrontational footballer with a hot-headed reputation that has already brought him two red cards and nine yellow in 43 games in English football.

Yet, the Serbian is not quite what he seems. When he speaks, his voice is gentle. He is polite, shy, initially reluctant to make eye contact, but when he does, they sparkle, not with aggression, but with mischief. The menace disappears with the smile that follows his suggestion of an alternative career path.