Guy Whittingham insists he won't be disappointed if Aleksandar Mitrovic beats his goal record this season - he just hopes the Fulham man has a happier ending than he did.
Former Portsmouth striker Whittingham tore up the record books in the second tier almost 30 years ago.
He scored a whopping 42 goals for Pompey in the 1992-93 season. Despite that mammoth tally, it wasn't quite enough to seal an automatic promotion spot as the South Coast side fell a solitary goal short of second-place West Ham (in the days when goals scored was used to separate sides as opposed to goal difference).
And there was further heartbreak to follow as Jim Smith's men also missed out in the play-offs.
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Mitrovic is enjoying a similar purple patch this season, as he bids to lead Fulham to an immediate top-flight return.
The Serbian is on 31 already. Last weekend saw him tie level with Ivan Toney's Championship record.
Despite many believing that tally to be the all-time highest number of goals scored in the second tier, it only covers the campaigns from 2004-05 onwards (when the competition was revamped).
Whittingham's 42 remains the highest figure in the Premier League era.
Despite proudly holding that record for nearly three decades, Whittingham accepts it is only a matter of time before Fulham's goal machine overtakes him.
"I'll be really pleased if he does do it," Whittingham said, speaking exclusively to Mirror Football .
"I think in this modern day and age, to be able to score the number of goals that he has already is frightening.
"Like Portsmouth did with me, Fulham are playing to his strengths. They're creating chances for him and he's taking them.
"I just really hope he gets promoted if he does it (breaks record), unlike us when we didn't go up. That influenced the rest of my career really.
"Because at 28, I wasn't going to get another chance off the back of 42 league goals to play in the Premier League.
"If I wasn't going to move up then, I never would have done."
Whittingham did eventually his crack at the Premier League, first with Aston Villa and then Sheffield Wednesday.
But that historic 1992-93 season remains the one, understandably, many people remember him for.
And looking back on that goal-laden campaign, he believes his physical conditioning was crucial to his success in front of goal.
Whittingham, who had a short spell as manager of Pompey between 2012 and 2013 added: "I think my first season with Pompey I scored 23 or 24 in the league, then the following two years 13 and 15. So I felt I hadn't done myself justice.
"Before that season, I actually did a pre-pre-season if you like. I went and got in touch with an athletics coach and got myself ultra-fit.
"I felt I'd let my standards slip so I went and got myself physically fit even before pre-season. I then went into the actual season flying.
"I scored a hat-trick down at Bristol City and the confidence went from there.
"I think the longest I went without scoring was three games. I always felt I was going to get chances due to the players around me."
