STEVE McCLAREN thinks £14m new-boy Aleksandar Mitrovic has the “devil in him” to do some damage on the Premier League stage after making his first appearance in a Newcastle United shirt.

The Serbian striker only started training with the first team squad on Tuesday but was desperate to figure at Bootham Crescent, where the Magpies lost 2-1 to League Two’s York City.

Mitrovic only showed glimpses of the Anderlecht player who persuaded Newcastle to pay such a substantial amount this summer, but his new head coach is convinced there is plenty more to come.

The 20-year-old has arrived with a big reputation having attracted interest from a host of European clubs and McClaren is delighted to have got his man.

After watching Mitrovic come through his first 70 minutes as a Newcastle player at York, McClaren said: “He has not trained for ten days so lacked that final yard here.

“But he has that bit of devil in him. He is a very good signing. He will be a big asset for us. He wanted to play after a day’s training. Hopefully he will play more Saturday.

“He has that bit of devil when he crosses the white line, he loses the smile and the innocence of that face. He is a real warrior and we just need to build him up.”

Mitrovic could easily have scored in the second half when he had a few decent chances, while he also threatened an earlier one at the other end against the Minstermen.

McClaren said: “He is a very physical player. There was one cross in the first half from Shane Ferguson and he left the defender on the ground. When I saw videos of him playing that is what he does. He is a strong player.”

The Newcastle boss is still keen to add more players to his squad before the start of the season and he is waiting for clearance to play Mitrovic’s former Anderlecht defender Chancell Mbemba.

The Magpies are also understood to have made a fresh attempt to lure Marseille’s £12m-rated forward Florian Thauvin, while there have been claims that AC Milan have turned down an approach for M’baye Niang.

McClaren was not too concerned after watching his side lose 2-1 at York, although he was disappointed in the way his side conceded two goals inside four second half minutes last night.

Anthony Straker beat goalkeeper Karl Darlow with the first in the 16th minute when he was allowed to get on the end of Marvin Mccoy’s cross in to the area. Then trialist Reece Thompson cut inside from the right before drilling in the second shortly after.

There was an Ayoze Perez goal 14 minutes from time when he bundled over the line at the back post but York held on to claim a confidence boosting pre-season win over top-flight opposition, which included the likes of Perez, Siem de Jong and Mitrovic.

“What we are doing is trying to get a squad going,” said McClaren. “We had a team to play on Sunday and many of those trained today and then we brought this squad we had here tonight. That’s what it is about, just getting legs going.

“I am like any manager ... you always have concerns. When you come in like I have you are trying to play catch up and I am learning a lot. It has been short but we have ten or 11 days to go and they will be interesting days.

“I am always looking for new players, but they have to be the right players. These players here I am delighted with their attitudes. Results are not important but performances are. I want to win so I am disappointed in that , but we were poor in both boxes, but good in the middle.”

Former Hartlepool goalkeeper Scott Flinders did make a number of saves to prevent Newcastle from avoiding defeat. Now McClaren, who suggested Rolando Aarons was taken off because of cramp, is planning to field a full strength side against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

Newcastle’s teenage goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, meanwhile, has joined League Two side Crawley Town on loan.

The 18-year-old will be at the Broadfield Stadium until January 3 and provides him with senior competitive football for the first time.

Last season, Woodman was named on the substitutes' bench for the first-team on a number of occasions, although is yet to make his competitive Magpies bow.

YORK CITY: Flinders; McCoy (Swan 66), Lowe (Trialist 66), Winfield (Nolan 66), McCombe (Rzonnnca 66), Straker (Godfrey 66), Berrett (Meikle 66), Summerfield (Ilesanmi 66), Penn (Platt 55), Oliver (Carson 66), Thompson. Sub (not used): Ingham (gk)

NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Darlow (Elliot 46); Bigirimana, Lascelles, Satka, Ferguson; Abeid, Gouffran; Perez, De Jong, Aarons (Kemen 59), Mitrovic (Suddick 70). Sub (not used): Johnson