It is two decades now since Colombian hero Faustino Asprilla thrilled the Geordie masses at St James’ Park.

Those masses were not exactly thrilled by what they witnessed on Saturday.

But they might just have seen the start of another Colombian success story in Steven Alzate.

The 21-year-old midfielder was born and brought up in London and played for Fulham and Leyton Orient before joining Albion.

But his parents are Colombian and he has spoken recently of his wish to play for their national team.

Alzate looked at home in Premier League company as Albion played some good stuff at Newcastle.

That despite being given another new role, this time on the left.

His senior debut, in the Carabao Cup win at Bristol Rovers, was the first time he had played right wing-back.

But, as he pointed out with striking simplicity: “This was just the same, pretty much, just on the other side.

“I’m a midfielder but I will play where the manager wants to play me and I will get the job done. I have just got keep going and keep pushing.

“The manager gave me the opportunity and I feel I took it.”

Alzate signed a new three-year deal last season after impressing on loan at Swindon.

He expected to go out again this term until Graham Potter arrived and liked what he saw.

The head coach told Alzate to do exactly what he has done to impress in training as he stepped on to the big stage.

Alzate said: “Before the game the manager told me to just play my football and be confident on the ball.

“He told me, when I had the guy one on one, just try and take him on.

“To do the stuff I have been doing over the last few months, “The players have been very encouraging.

“I have been with them since pre-season and they have been encouraging me from the beginning.

“Dan Burn was on my side of the pitch and he was talking to me through the game, which was very helpful.

“It is a team game and we wanted to win. I felt we deserved to win, especially in the first half when we dominated the game.

“On a personal note, it was really good to get my debut and to perform as well.”

A feature of Potter’s tenure has been to give players roles they do not expect. Take them out of their comfort zone, as Burn puts it.

Alzate is a case in point. He has twice started at wing-back but gives that option of moving into more of a central, playmaking role later on if Albion are chasing a goal.

Potter said: “I think he is one of those players who can play everywhere.

“Okay, maybe not centre-back! But almost everywhere.

“He has got a good football brain, he takes the ball, he has got courage, he can turn.

“He has been playing there (on the left) in the week (in training) but I had no doubts about him because of his character and how he applies himself every day.

“He played wide and I thought contributed with that. He allows you to keep the ball from a wide position and also offer a threat as well.”

Alzate’s emergence has not gone unnoticed back in the mother country.

In a recent radio interview, he spoke of his wish to play for their national team.

He told Diana Calderon of Caracol Radio: “I’ve been playing football since I was three or four. At 16 or 17, I started to take it more as a career and I became more serious.

“I don’t follow Colombian football much but I watch the national team.

“If they call me, I’d love to play for the Colombian national team more than England, only because of my Colombian roots.

“Although I’m in England, I feel more Colombian. It would be an honour to play for Colombia”

Alzate spoke about enjoying his mum’s Colombian cooking and listening to a bit of reggaeton, a Latin American genre influenced by hip hop and Caribbean music.

Not that international football is a priority right now.

He said: “I have an agent who tells me he has spoken to people, I don’t know who, but I don’t know what is happening with that.

“I am concentrated on football and, if they call me, they call me. I hope they do.”

Alzate told The Argus, with a laugh, that his “flair and skills” are the Colombian part of his game.

But there has to be more to it than that to forge a professional career.

Andrew Crofts, who has been brought back to the club to play a coaching and mentoring role with the under-23s, knows there is more to being a pro than pure talent.

Battle-hardened Crofts played alongside Alzate in the recent Leasings.com Trophy win at Wimbledon.

He told The Argus: “He’s fantastic - his mentality, his desire to want to play football. You can tell he is very highly regarded at the club and you can see what a good player he is.

“He seems like a real level-headed guy who wants to learn, wants to get better and deserves his time he spending together with the first-team.

“He is going to have a real good career.”

Unlike Asprilla when he celebrated a goal, Albion are not doing cartwheels just yet about the young talent in their ranks.

But they have to be encouraged, even quietly excited.

A special story might just have started in the North East on Saturday.