Since Eddie Howe rocked up at St. James' Park in October 2021, Newcastle United's fortunes have changed. But, for Miguel Almiron, Howe's arrival has transformed his overall game and the perception the wider footballing world has of him.
Indeed, in the two-and-a-half season prior to Howe taking charge of Newcastle, Almiron had managed just eight Premier League goals since joining from Atlanta United and looked an overpriced signing at £21 million.
While the Paraguayan initially had to fight his way into the Newcastle side, only nailing down his place on the right-wing at the start of the 2022/23 season, Almiron hasn't looked back since as he continues to dedicate himself to his craft.
He has scored nine goals and notched one assist in 21 Premier League games this season, including a tremendous Goal of the Month effort against Fulham in October. Under Howe's tutelage, Almiron's self-belief has skyrocketed, but that still hasn't stopped the manager from demanding even more, as Almiron tells FourFourTwo.
"He gives me more freedom," Almiron explains. "Having his trust has given me much more confidence and thankfully the goals are now coming. The coach is always hammering home to me to work on my finishing, and I stay late to work on that with my left foot and my crosses with my right.
"From the beginning, the gaffer has demanded better numbers from every player. You could see the team’s improvement as soon as the new coach arrived, and then we brought in Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and others. We stayed up fairly quickly after that.
"Training sessions are so dynamic and high-energy – the gaffer demands we always train to our maximum and keep nothing back in any session. We train how we play and games are an extension of training. That’s the biggest difference since the boss came in."
Talking FourFourTwo through his daily routine at Newcastle's under-renovation Darsley Park training ground, Almiron offers a glimpse into how positive the club currently is and how he is feeling within himself.
And why shouldn't he be? Almiron has been one of the Premier League's standout players this season, as Newcastle aim to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2003.
"I usually arrive early for training because I like to take my time, though not as early as Trippier who’s always already here! I’ll have breakfast here, go to the gym for a bit and get myself ready for the session.
"I’ll usually stay late, too – maybe not the latest but one of them – and again take my time. I like being around the club, it’s my place of work and it’s important to enjoy that."
