Patrick Kluivert was impressed by Miguel Almiron on the Paraguayan’s Newcastle United debut, describing the player as a “lively boy”.
The 24-year-old came on for Christian Atsu in the 72nd minute of the Magpies’s 1-1 draw with Wolves on Monday night, showing glimpses of his attacking prowess with several positive runs and sharp passes.
Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports’ coverage of the match, as quoted by the Chronicle, former Toon star Kluivert suggested that the £20 million man gave a good account of himself.
He said: “He’s a lively boy. Very quick and I think he gave a good impression for the minutes he played.”
OPINION
Almiron looked good on Monday night. When he came off the bench he looked spritely and sharp, and was eager get on the ball at every opportunity. One the 20-odd minutes he was on the pitch he managed to rouse the Toon faithful and showed plenty of glimpses of just what he can do with the ball at his feet. Many fans will have been disappointed that he didn’t start the match, but given the circumstances of his transfer and the length of time that has passed since he last played a competitive match, it was probably a smart move from Rafa Benitez to leave him on the bench. On the basis of what he showed during his fairly brief cameo, however, he is more than match ready, and it would be a huge surprise if he didn’t start against Huddersfield Town a week on Saturday. The Geordies might just have a new hero.
