Miguel Almirón stepped foot inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium as an Atlanta United player for the first time since December 2018 when he won MLS Cup. There was one appearance in between, when Almirón played here for Newcastle in a summer friendly and made the crowd erupt after scoring a goal. He's back now as the club's latest signing and a huge part of the club's push to claim their second MLS Cup.
"First, I'm very grateful to everyone at the club to bring me back and from the very first moment that I found out the situation was a possibility, I didn't doubt it for a second. I'm very happy to be here," Almirón said. "I have tried to follow the club since I left. And I know the club hasn't won a title the last few years. But it's a big club with great players. You have people at the club that are trying to improve the club to push it forward and that's very important."
"In the end, all that work and effort bears that fruit," Almirón said.
Almirón played over 220 matches for Newcastle United since leaving Atlanta and has matured as a player and a person. "I think I have grown as a player and also as a person both on and off the field. You always learn from your experiences, but right now I'm calm and I'm coming here with that motivation to help the team," he said.
Almirón's three-year old son is an important motivation in his life and career. "I think it motivates me more on the field to be able to play for my son and my family. It gives me something else to look forward to when I come home after football," he said.
"When I arrived in England, there were some not so great moments with Newcastle. When I come home, I have to have a smile on my face when I see him." Almirón is hoping for many smiles in this encore performance with Atlanta United, and frequently mentioned the effect of the 17's on his decision to return and how much their greeting last night at the airport meant to him.
Madison Crews asked Chris Henderson, Atlanta United's Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director after the press conference about how important Almirón's leadership skills will be for this group. "That's what you want from your DP's, you want guys who are going to take the team on their back. They're going to want the ball under pressure," Henderson said. "We want players who want to win and do everything they can every day at training to push the players and we want to have a competitive environment."
When asked about the business impact of Almirón's return, club president and CEO Garth Lagerwey said, "I think Miguel Almirón probably means more to Atlanta United than any other club in the world. In the sense of the relationship with the fan base, the track record of success, the championship legacy... I think he probably has a bigger impact here than anywhere else, but we signed Miguel because we believe he's a good soccer player."
Henderson hopes that Almirón will be available immediately to join the team in training, but that update will be coming later. Tomorrow, the team will face Birmingham Legion in a preseason friendly. The match will be streamed on the club's website starting at 4:30 p.m.
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