Miguel Almirón

Miguel Ángel Almirón Rejala (born 10 February 1994) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Paraguay national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Almirón and the second or maternal family name is Rejala.
Miguel Almirón
Almirón with Atlanta United in 2018
Personal information
Full name Miguel Ángel Almirón Rejala[1]
Date of birth (1994-02-10) 10 February 1994
Place of birth Asunción, Paraguay
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Newcastle United
Number 24
Youth career
2008–2012 Cerro Porteño
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Cerro Porteño 39 (6)
2015–2016 Lanús 35 (3)
2017–2019 Atlanta United 62 (21)
2019– Newcastle United 67 (8)
National team‡
2010 Paraguay U17 10 (1)
2012–2013 Paraguay U20 16 (2)
2015– Paraguay 26 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:00, 6 February 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2019

He began his career at Cerro Porteño and transferred to Lanús in 2015. After winning the 2016 Argentine Primera División, he signed for Atlanta United FC for $8 million. He was named in the MLS Best XI for both of his seasons in Major League Soccer, as well as MLS Newcomer of the Year for 2017. After helping Atlanta to the MLS Cup 2018 he signed for Newcastle for £21 million, a club record and the highest fee for an MLS player.

Almirón made his international debut for Paraguay in 2015 and represented the country at the Copa América in 2016 and 2019.

Early life

Almirón grew up in an impoverished family where his father worked 18-hour shifts as a security guard and his mother worked in a supermarket. The seven members of his household slept in three bedrooms, and he had to share a bed with his sister and mother until he was 18.[2]

Club career

Cerro Porteño

Almirón began his career with Cerro Porteño in his native Paraguay.

Lanús

In August 2015, Almirón signed for Club Atlético Lanús in the Argentine Primera División.[3] Introduced slowly in his first season by Lanús manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Almirón came to the forefront the next season in the shortened 2016 Argentine Primera División under Jorge Almirón. Playing as an advanced central midfielder, Almirón was pivotal in Lanús' 2016 Argentine Primera División title win, scoring key goals against local rivals Banfield in the Clásico del Sur,[4] and later in the final against San Lorenzo.[5] A few months later, in August 2016, Almirón set-up the only goal in Lanús' Copa Bicentenario victory over Racing.[6]

Atlanta United
Almirón celebrating a goal with Atlanta United on 2 June 2018

On 5 December 2016, Almirón signed with the new Major League Soccer expansion team Atlanta United.[7] He joined as a "Young Designated Player"[8] and Atlanta paid a transfer fee of around $8 million to Lanús.[9]

Almirón was an important figure in Atlanta United's first season, described as the "heartbeat" of the team by veteran teammate Jeff Larentowicz.[10] On 12 March, Almirón scored his first goals for the club, notching a brace in the club's second game, a 6–1 victory over fellow MLS newcomers Minnesota United.[11] He scored the second hat-trick in club history on 20 May against the Houston Dynamo, and scored two goals a week later against New York City FC.[12] Almirón joined teammates Greg Garza and Michael Parkhurst in the MLS All-Star Game on 2 August,[13] and topped the league's list of 24 players under the age of 24, released on 28 September.[14] During the regular season, Almirón was named to seven Teams of the Week by Major League Soccer, and was named Player of the Week twice.[15][16][17] At the end of the season, he was named to the league's Best XI[18] and was named Newcomer of the Year.[19]

In April 2018, Almirón was named MLS Player of the Month for his five goals and two assists as Atlanta went unbeaten with three wins and a draw.[20] With 12 goals and 14 assists, he was again named in the MLS Best XI, alongside teammate Josef Martínez.[21] Atlanta won MLS Cup 2018 against the Portland Timbers in only their second season of existence, and Almirón was named in the Team of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.[22]

Newcastle United

On 31 January 2019, Almirón joined Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee on a five-and-a-half year deal.[23] The transfer fee is believed to be around £21 million, at the time, a club record fee,[24] and a record for an MLS player.

He made his Premier League debut on 11 February in a 1–1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing the final 18 minutes in place of Christian Atsu.[25] Fans and media likened Almirón to Santiago Muñez, a fictional Newcastle player from the film Goal! who also originated from Latin America and moved to St James' Park via the United States.[26][27][2]

During a match against Southampton on 20 April, he was tackled by Oriol Romeu and suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.[28] Almirón struggled to score in his first months with Newcastle, but helped his side to avoid relegation.[29] After registering a total of 40 shots with no goals, he scored his first Premier League goal on 21 December 2019 in a 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace.[30] His second goal came in the FA Cup on 4 January away at Rochdale in an eventual 1-1 draw. This was followed by his second Premier League goal coming away at Wolverhampton Wanderers that ended at 1-1. His FA Cup form continued, scoring in the Rochdale replay at home, scoring one of Newcastle's four goals. On 3 March, Almirón scored his first brace, in an eventual 3-2 away FA Cup win at West Bromwich Albion. After the suspension of the 2020 season, Almirón was Newcastle's top scorer in all competitions. After the season was officially ended, he remained top scorer after two more goals against Bournemouth and West Ham United.

Almirón went on to start the 2020–21 season strongly, scoring once and providing three assists in three of his first four games. He added to this with a consolation goal against Leeds. A strong performance in a nine man 3-2 win against Southampton on 6 February earned praise from pundits and fans, with Almirón credited for his hard-working display.[31]

International career

Almirón played for the Paraguay under-20 national team in the 2013 South American Youth Football Championship in Argentina, and was highly involved as his team finished second to Colombia.[32][33] Later that year, he was called up for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, where Paraguay reached the last 16.[34]

On 5 September 2015, Almirón made his senior international debut in a 3–2 friendly loss away to Chile, playing the final nine minutes in place of Jonathan Fabbro.[35] Manager Ramón Díaz called him up the following May for the Copa América Centenario in the United States, where he started two matches in a group-stage exit.[36]

In March 2019, in a friendly against Mexico at Levi's Stadium, Almirón came on as a substitute. Seven minutes later, he received a straight red card for a foul on José Juan Vázquez in which he dragged his studs down the back of the opponent's leg.[37] On 10 October the same year, he was sent off for diving in a 1–0 friendly loss to Serbia.[38]

Career statistics

Club
As of 6 February 2021[39][40]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Domestic Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] International[lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cerro Porteño 2013 Paraguayan Primera División 6100000061
2014 Paraguayan Primera División 140000010150
2015 Paraguayan Primera División 195000010205
Total 396000020416
Lanús 2015 Argentine Primera División 100100031141
2016 Argentine Primera División 133200020173
2016–17 Argentine Primera División 120200000140
Total 353500051454
Atlanta United 2017 MLS 309101000329
2018 MLS 32121051003813
Total 62212061007022
Newcastle United 2018–19 Premier League 100000000100
2019–20 Premier League 364640000428
2020–21 Premier League 214104100265
Total 6787441007813
Career total 203381441027123445
  1. Includes Copa Argentina, Supercopa Argentina, U.S. Open Cup, FA Cup
  2. Includes MLS Cup Playoffs, EFL Cup
  3. Includes Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana

International
As of match played 19 November 2019[41]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Paraguay 201510
201660
201750
201820
2019122
Total262
As of match played 14 November 2019. Paraguay score listed first, score column indicates score after each Almirón goal.[41]
List of international goals scored by Miguel Almirón
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 September 2019Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan23 Jordan2–24–2Friendly
2 14 November 2019Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria25 Bulgaria1–01–0

Honours

Cerro Porteño

Lanús

Atlanta United

Individual

References
  1. "Premier League clubs publish 2019/20 retained lists". Premier League. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  2. Cole, Jackson (8 February 2019). "Miguel Almiron says he dreams of 'achieving something big' with Newcastle United". Talksport. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  3. "Lanús acordó la incorporación del volante Miguel Almirón" (in Spanish). ESPN. 31 July 2015.
  4. "Con personalidad". Olé (in Spanish). 29 May 2016.
  5. "Campeón de punta a punta: Lanús goleó a San Lorenzo 4-0 y desató la fiesta en el Monumental". La Nación (in Spanish). 29 May 2016.
  6. "Racing Club vs. Lanús 0 - 1". Soccerway. 14 August 2016.
  7. "Almiron signs with Atlanta United". Atlanta United FC (Twitter).
  8. Volcano, Carlos. "Atlanta United sign Paraguay international Miguel Almiron - Tribal Football". Tribal Football.
  9. "Atlanta United completes signing of Paraguay star Miguel Almiron". ESPN FC.
  10. Schwin, Payson (24 September 2017). "Atlanta United brace for bad injury news about "heartbeat" Miguel Almiron". MLS Soccer.
  11. Roberson, Doug (13 March 2017). "Atlanta United 6, Minnesota United 1: 5 observations". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  12. Schwin, Payson (21 May 2017). "Miguel Almiron obliges coach's request to shoot more, nets a hat trick". MLS Soccer.
  13. Schwin, Payson (30 July 2017). "Atlanta United celebrates first year with three All-Star picks". MLS Soccer.
  14. "Miguel Almirón ranked #1 in MLS 24 Under 24 List". Atlanta United. 28 September 2017.
  15. Boehm, Charles (22 May 2017). "2017 Team of the Week (Wk 12): Superstars, and Men in Red, shine". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  16. Stejskal, Sam (23 May 2017). "Miguel Almiron wins Alcatel MLS Player of the Week for Week 12". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  17. Stejskal, Sam (30 May 2017). "Miguel Almiron wins second straight Alcatel MLS Player of the Week". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  18. "2017 MLS Best XI revealed: Who was the best in 2017?". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  19. Boehm, Charles (20 November 2017). "Atlanta United's Miguel Almiron named 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  20. "Atlanta United's Miguel Almiron wins April MLS Player of the Month". Major League Soccer. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  21. "2018 MLS Best XI". Major League Soccer. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  22. Boehm, Charles (11 December 2018). "Team of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs: Who made the postseason Best XI?". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  23. Easterby, Tom (31 January 2019). "Magpies complete Almirón signing". Newcastle United Football Club. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  24. "Newcastle break their transfer record to sign playmaker Miguel Almiron". BBC Sport. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  25. Waugh, Chris (12 February 2019). "Miguel Almiron debut watch: How playmaker's pace, flair and workrate whet appetite of Newcastle fans". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  26. Edwards, Luke (31 January 2019). "Miguel Almiron's Newcastle move is like a film plot but he will have to write his own scripts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  27. Musgroves, Andrew (25 February 2019). "As Newcastle fans compare Miguel Almiron to Santiago Munez - here's how the Magpies won the race to film Goal". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  28. "Miguel Almiron: Newcastle midfielder out for season with hamstring injury". BBC Sport. 24 April 2019.
  29. Taylor, Louise (20 December 2019). "Interview: Miguel Almirón: 'I'm desperate for the first goal. I can't wait for that moment'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  30. Mendola, Nicholas (21 December 2019). "Bruce raves about Almiron after Newcastle striker finally gets goal". NBC Sports. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  31. "Newcastle hold on for win with nine men". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  32. "Convocados para el Suda" (in Spanish). D10. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  33. "Paraguay es subcampeón" (in Spanish). D10. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  34. "Sub 20: Convocados de Paraguay" (in Spanish). ESPN. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  35. "Chile con tanto de Alexis Sánchez venció 3-2 a Paraguay en Santiago" (in Spanish). RPP. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  36. "Paraguay reveals Copa America Centenario final roster". Sports Illustrated. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  37. McCormick, Sean (27 March 2019). "Newcastle United star Miguel Almiron sent off for Paraguay after horror challenge against Mexico". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  38. Knight, Chris (10 October 2019). "Newcastle United forward Miguel Almiron sent off for Paraguay in friendly against Serbia". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  39. "Miguel Almiron". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  40. "Miguel Almiron Soccer Stats - Season & Career Statistics". foxsports.com. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  41. "Almirón, Miguel". National Football Teams. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  42. "Almirón y Roque, los mejores del 2018". ABC Color (in Spanish). 28 December 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  43. "Bradley, Giovinco to represent TFC at MLS All-Star game - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  44. "2018 MLS All-Star Roster". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
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