Believe it or not, but four years have flown by since Miguel Almiron put pen to paper on a Newcastle United contract after his £21million move from Atlanta United.
Within hours of Almiron taking his seat on the flight which flew him over Atlantic and into the UK with his agent Daniel Campos, Newcastle had beaten Manchester City 2-1 under Rafa Benitez on a chilly night in 2019. Even now - with United flying at the top and Almiron a huge part of it all - that type of result wouldn't be small beer.
The great thing is that Almiron signed for Newcastle because he was ambitious and in a season in which he has lived up to that potential under Eddie Howe with nine goals and one assist in 20 Premier League games, he is fulfilling his dreams on Tyneside.
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Almiron has had his name chanted this season and has hoovered up all the awards from goal of the month to player of the month in a pre-World Cup clean sweep. But in an interview with Chronicle Live he says he felt the warmth from day one, week one.
A smiling Almiron said: "My connection with the Newcastle public began the day I arrived. It was day one, week one and it's been like that all the way through.
"Every time somebody has spoken to me in the street or around the city it has only been warm words and words of thanks. For somebody to come from overseas and feel that warm affection from day one is an unbelievable feeling."
Newcastle fans took to Almiron straight away and Wor Flags produced a stunning banner with his shirt, name and number on the back for his debut against Huddersfield Town. Almiron admits that such a kind and considerate welcome went a long way to help him adjust.
He said: "I remember the banner really well to be honest with you. It's something hard to forget. That was a very early example of just how well-received I was by the club and the fans. "It was a moment that will live with me forever.
"I have always been happy with the treatment from the supporters and everybody at the club. And I will always be grateful to Newcastle United especially because they were the club that gave me my chance to come to Europe and play in the Premier League.
"That was always my dream to play in the Premier League to be able to do that and now I'm living it in a black and white shirt. To be doing that at a club like this in a league like this is beyond my wildest dreams. The fact that I am now performing reasonably well is a great way of me giving something back on the field for all that amazing support off it."
Almiron is settled on Tyneside and talks on a new contract have always been ongoing between the club and his agent Campos. With his current deal up in 2024, he could be the next big star to commit his future.
The 28-year-old playmaker is certainly settled on Tyneside with his partner and baby boy Francesco. And he has thanked the Geordie public for their help in making Newcastle feel just like home.
The Paraguayan said: "Remember it's not something that just has a positive impact on me it also has that same impact on my family who are very, very happy in Newcastle.
It feels like home for them and it is lovely when they hear fans chanting my name or singing songs. "When I hear that it's like my heart strings are pulling to the songs of the Geordie fans too. That's something I have felt from the very beginning."
Almiron made his debut for Newcastle away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 1-1 draw four years ago. The team then flew straight over to Spain for a mid-season training camp.
But once they returned, strangers came up to Almiron and greeted him like a long lost friend. Almiron said: "The positive thing is that when I arrived here from America settling into life in Newcastle wasn't too tough.
"The transition was smooth as the club made me feel at home and very welcome. "But so did the people in the street - that meant a lot.
"From the moment I stepped on to the grass away to Wolves I felt at home. "Everybody's attitude really struck me at how warm the city was, when I bumped into people in the street they weren't strangers they were treated me like a friend."
The city now is an even happier place - and for those who lived through it, the bars and clubs feel like a throwback to the 1990s under Kevin Keegan. Almiron would love to deliver success to the fans now.
He said: "All of that sort of stuff helped me and my family settle in and feel like I am at home. "And all the time during my stay I dreamt of what the fans dream of - to get to the point we are now.
"We have the same dreams, same vision. "The club and the fans should enjoy this moment because this is what we have been working towards for such a long time."
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