Miguel Almiron insists he will not crumble under the pressure of being Newcastle’s record signing as he prepares for his first taste of Premier League football.
The Paraguay international, 24, completed a £21million switch from Major League Soccer side Atlanta United on deadline day.
He could make his debut at Wolves on Monday evening – a match you can listen to live on talkSPORT – and is relishing the opportunity to show what he can do.
“I try not to think about the pressure or pay attention to it,” he said.
“As players of this club, Newcastle United, which has so much history, that is pressure in itself in terms of wanting to do well.
“We know what the fans demand of us, but it doesn’t concern me overly. I’m just going to focus on playing.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to come across in play and Europe and in the Premier League, I’ve had that in mind since the early days of my career.
“I feel I’m representing my country here, I’m proud of that, and I hope to give a good account of myself and of my country.”
Newcastle pursued Almiron doggedly throughout the January window and finally made their breakthrough in the nick of time.
However, the midfielder admitted the move was a “no-brainer” for him once he knew of manager Rafael Benitez’s interest.
He said: “It’s a similar situation to when I made the decision to go to Atlanta. It was a no-brainer when [manager] Tata Martina said he wanted me. It was the same when I heard of the interest from Rafa Benitez.
“We all know what a great manager he is, a great person he is and there was no hesitation about wanting to play for him and the club.”