‘In Paraguay the Premier League is the best’: Enciso, Almirón and the clash captivating a country

Julio Enciso of Brighton (left) and Newcastle's Miguel Almirón. They face one another in the Premier League at St James’ Park on Thursday.

Before Brighton visit Newcastle international colleagues discuss their journeys from watching English matches on TV Julio Enciso admits that he was too nervous to approach Miguel Almirón. It was June 2021, Enciso had received his first call-up to the Paraguay squad and he wanted to arrange a shirt swap with Almirón, the team’s crack.

“I actually asked the manager at the time, Eduardo Berizzo, if he could ask Miguel for the shirt,” Enciso says. “I was 17 and, as you can understand, I was a bit nervous. It was a very special moment for me – to play for the national team and to meet Miguel like that.” Berizzo made it happen and so there they were, Enciso – the Libertad prodigy, who moved to Brighton last summer – and Almirón, the Newcastle favourite, handing over their shirts and smiling for a photograph. Enciso exchanged his Libertad ‘19’ jersey; Almirón his Newcastle ‘24’.