ALCARAZ KEEN TO PICK UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF

First goal special - now it's time for more, says Charly

- By JOE THOMAS

WHEN the net bulged in May to silence St James' Park, Carlos Alcaraz's Everton future was on the line. It is a revelation that explains the joy in his celebration that day.

The noise that ended the intake of breath as 50,000 Newcastle supporters feared their Champions League dream was over was the eruption of emotion from the distant away end. They were already in love with Alcaraz. The 22-year-old was already in love with them.

After watching his glancing header bounce beyond Nick Pope, he searched for the Blue shirts in the crowd before realising they were too far away and leaping into a Ronaldo-esque Siu celebration as he was mobbed by his teammates.

Shortly after the final whistle, when asked whether he would seek to make Alcaraz’s loan move from Flamengo permanent, David Moyes told the ECHO: “You'll need to wait and see like everybody else.”

Almost three months later, the Argentine smiles as he tells the ECHO, and reporters from other outlets who have gathered to preview the season with him, that he, too, had to “wait and see”.

“I just went into that game like I had all the others, really, full of confidence and wanting to do my best for the club and for me”, the attacking midfielder explained as he reflected on what would become a significant day in his career.