Record signing Almiron eager to make mark
HE IS a regular churchgoer with choirboy looks but Newcastle’s big-money star signing Miguel Almiron insists he is no angel.
And while the Toon’s new £20.5m playmaker admits he does not want to be labelled a Geordie hero just yet, Almiron is desperate to make his mark in Rafa Benitez’s side.
It is perhaps just as well that his official unveiling was not stage-managed to replicate the press conferences which heralded the Magpies’ last two record signings.
The Leazes End was thrown open and thousands of fans descended on St James’ Park to welcome Alan Shearer back home in 1996 and they were out in force again nine years later when Michael Owen arrived from Real Madrid.
Almiron would probably feel uncomfortable with a similar grand entrance.
He even looked embarrassed when reminded of the YouTube footage of some of his MLS goals for Atlanta which has had supporters drooling in anticipation since his arrival was announced last week.
But do not mistake modesty for a lack of determination to make an impact in English football as US football’s most expensive export is burning with ambition.
“Every player who comes to the Premier League comes with a dream to achieve something big,” said the 24-year-old.
“It’s similar with me. I want to work really hard, help my team-mates as a group, add quality and bring something to the team.”
Almiron may possess a lethal shot and searing pace but he is no prima donna. Regular MLS watchers claim he was not just that league’s best footballer but the hardest worker too.
Fortune
“Football’s not just about skill and ability, especially in this league when the tempo is so high,” he said, having clearly done his homework on what he can expect when he makes his debut – probably as a substitute – at Wolves on Monday night. “You’ve also got to put a real shift in.”
Asked about the highly-flattering clips of him in action, which have been racking up the online hits in recent days, he said: “You’ll only see if that was a true reflection when I play. It was my best mate who put the compilation together!”
The Paraguay international, whose father was a security guard and his mother a supermarket worker, has been compared to Santiago Munez from the 2005 film Goal who crossed the Atlantic to earn fame and fortune at Newcastle before a money-spinning move to Real Madrid.
His own hero, growing up, was Paris St-Germain superstar Angel Di Maria, who flopped during an ill-fated spell at Manchester United.
And before joining Newcastle, he spoke to Diego Gavilan (left) the only previous Paraguyan to pull on the black and white stripes. The less said about his time on Tyneside the better. Almiron, who first heard about Newcastle’s interest in late November, is just focused on his own career.
“I try not to get carried away with comparisons like that or go too crazy with what people write on social media,” he said.
“I know that film and I’ve seen it but it’s about trying to do my best.” Almiron has a tattoo on his right arm which demonstrates his Christian faith. It says, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life’.
“I’m not an angel, though I try to go every so often to church to put right my sins,” he said. If he leads Toon to the promised land, he will be their 21st-century Messiah.