It is official: Miguel Almiron is Eddie Howe’s latest success story at Newcastle United. A man-of-the-match performance against Fulham was arguably his best in a Toon shirt to date, with two goals inspiring the Magpies to a resounding 4-1 win.
The Paraguayan’s brilliant first evoked memories of Dutch legend Marco van Basten in the Euro 1988 final as he volleyed home to take Bernd Leno by surprise. His second was a poacher’s finish at the back stick just moments before having a well-taken hat-trick goal ruled out for offside.
Any prospects of Almiron scoring a hat-trick were beyond comprehension a few months ago. The 28-year-old appeared destined for the St James’ Park exit earlier this year, lingering on the fringes of Howe’s squad having not started a game in 2022 until March 13.
