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Newcastle star Miguel Almiron reveals ONE key reason why he joined
NEWCASTLE new boy Miguel Almiron has revealed the main reason he decided to join the Toon in January.
Newcastle signed Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United for a club record £20million in the January transfer window.
Almiron, 25, joined MLS side Atlanta in 2017 and set the division alright during his two-year spell.
The Paraguay international scored 22 goals in 69 games for the 2018 MLS Cup champions, and his efforts were rewarded by being named in the league’s best XI in both seasons.
The attacking midfielder is set to make his Newcastle debut against Wolves on Monday night, and revealed to Sky Sports the main factor in his move to the north east.
He said: “I think that the interest from Newcastle was the firmest interest, and their position was the most concrete position I was aware of.
“As soon as you realise Rafa Benitez, with his career and experience, is interested in you, it's a decisive factor in that.
“From the word go, he showed great interest in me.
“It was a big moment, not just for me but for my career as well, and I was really happy.”
Any player would feel the same when a manager like Rafa gets in touch
Benitez, 58, is highly regarded by Almiron after managing some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The Spaniard left Valencia to take charge of Liverpool in 2004 after winning two La Liga titles with the club.
Benitez went on to win the Champions League with Liverpool before spells at Inter, Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid.
“Any player would feel the same when a manager like Rafa gets in touch with you and shows interest in you,” Almiron added.
“It's a really positive move for my career.
“So far in my career, all of these relationships have been professional coach-player relationships.
“I think what I hope to gain from Rafa, the great manager that he is, is he can give a positive influence and confidence on my career.
“I think he gives players confidence to go out there and perform.”
Newcastle travel to Wolves on Monday evening as they look to move away from the Premier League relegation zone.