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IMAGINE being told you sing like Pavarotti, swing a golf club like Tiger Woods, or run like Usain Bolt.

You’ll then have an idea how Ayoze Perez felt last Saturday night after one of his best-ever days as a Newcastle player.

Two goals, one assist, and a huge win over Everton had made for quite an afternoon. Then Perez heard that boss Rafa Benitez had described his pass for Salomon Rondon’s opener, which sparked the Toon comeback, as Lionel Messi-like.

“My first reaction was ‘is he talking about me?’ said the 25-year-old. “I was surprised but incredibly proud. Messi is my alltime hero, head and shoulders above every player in the world, so to be mentioned in the same sentence by someone I respect so much was special. It also told me I must be doing something right.”

A few hours earlier, Perez had been cheered off the St James’ Park pitch after his heroics.

“It meant an awful lot,” added the forward. “It was an amazing day, one I will never forget. Sometimes on the morning of a game you imagine what you would love to happen. It rarely works out that way but this time what I wished for actually happened.”

What made it so much sweeter for Perez was that a few months ago he was a target for boo-boys. His Toon career hit rockbottom during a 3-0 home defeat by West Ham when he was sarcastically cheered off the pitch after being subbed.

Social media was awash with derisory comments.

“I cannot pretend it was an easy situation,” said the Spaniard. “In fact it was a very difficult time. In that period, you lean on those closest to you and my family helped a lot. But you are the only one who can get yourself out of it. Every player goes through tough moments but it is how you react that is important. That will show up first the person you are, then the footballer.”

Perez cannot pinpoint one precise moment when everything changed but now he believes he is playing his best football since arriving from Tenerife five years ago.

“It is not simple to find that moment when you are positive, confident and feel so good about every- thing in your game but that is me now,” he said.

“I wake up looking forward to training and counting down until the next game.”

Ironically, the man many fans thought had been bought to replace him has sparked Perez’s revival. “I cannot lie, I thought I would lose my place when Miguel Almiron joined,” he said.

“Instead, he has brought the best out of me. We have shown we can play together at a high level. Off the pitch, myself and Salomon have been helping him settle down by taking him to restaurants and he is helping us on it.”

Newcastle are at Bournemouth today with Perez needing just two goals to break into Newcastle’s all-time top 10 of Premier League marksmen.

He’s on 27 – by his own admission not a great tally but his mindset is different to what it once was.

“When I was youngster I thought of myself as a goalscorer but then when I came here, my game adapted and I had many different roles,” he said.

“I am not obsessed about scoring but maybe I was not hungry enough and concentrated on other aspects.

“Now I realise football is about numbers and as a forward, I want goals and assists.

“I plan to score a lot more in the next few years.”