Former Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino always believed Miguel Almiron would become a success at Newcastle United. The 60-year-old knows a thing or two about South American footballing talent, having hailed from the same town as and coached PSG superstar Lionel Messi.
His relationship with Almiron stretches back to the pair’s time together in the United States. It was Martino - Atlanta’s first-ever manager - who signed the Paraguayan from Argentine outfit Lanus in 2016, moulding him into the player Toon supporters love today.
The attack-minded, high-pressing style Martino adopted at the Five Stripes is akin to Eddie Howe’s current system that has benefitted Almiron. After three-and-a-half years of struggle on Tyneside, Newcastle fans are finally witnessing the player Mike Ashley stumped up a club-record fee for in January 2019.
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An equaliser against Bournemouth was Almiron’s 10th of the campaign. For context, the 29-year-old failed to equal that league tally across in his previous three seasons combined.
But ex-manager Martino always knew there was a hidden gem in Almiron waiting to be unearthed. He told La Nacion: “It was a matter of time. This began to happen, I think, when the team changed ownership and important players arrived. He went from fighting relegation to a place in the UEFA mix. That helped him a lot and also the national team.
“He is competing against the best players in the world, on Sunday against Liverpool and days later against Manchester City or United. That’s very important.”
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