Carlos Alcaraz believes the varying language skills of manager David Moyes and team-mate Jack Harrison are helping him settle in at Everton. And while he doesn’t court the fame of his famous tennis-playing namesake, he is already getting recognised when out and about.

The Argentinian joined the Blues on transfer deadline day of the winter window on loan from Brazilian club Flamengo and although he had a previous spell on these shores with Southampton, his English currently remains limited. Following the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Harrison, whose wife is from Costa Rica, acted as Alcaraz’s informal interpreter for an interview with club channels.

That day, the 22-year-old followed the on-loan Leeds United man as being one of a select band of individuals to have scored a goal and provided an assist on their first Premier League start for Everton (thanks to EFC Statto for this golden nugget) in a club that also includes the eclectic characters of Robert Warzycha, Marcus Bent, Royston Drenthe, Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu.

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Explaining how Harrison as helped him to settle in, Alcaraz said: “They are a great bunch of lads and everyone has helped me, but the first person I came across because of his great Spanish is Jack.

“We spend all the time together on and off the field and in training. We even share the odd maté [a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused herbal drink] together.

“I didn’t introduce him to it. When he was at Leeds, he played under Marcelo Bielsa and the backroom staff there, so he was used to having maté. It is just that I have got him back on it now.”

Moyes had a spell in San Sebastian as head coach of Real Sociedad, so does what are his Spanish skills like? Alcaraz said: “He said: ‘Hola!’ It is no problem because we have Jack.

“No, to be fair, the manager speaks really slowly and clearly to me, his English is very clear, so I don’t have any problem. My English is good enough to follow when it is a team talk and it is directed to me or a group, but when it is two people chatting away that is more difficult.

“The first thing he said was he had a lot of faith in me and that he would put his trust in me. Immediately that really calmed me, relaxed me, gave me confidence as well. I am really happy here.

“I know what a big challenge it is playing here for Everton but I think the confidence from the manager, his coaching staff and my teammates means I can do my thing, do my own stuff and prove who I am as a player.”

So, what does the lad from La Plata think about the ‘other’ Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis ace who defeated the legendary Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final? He said: “Yes I am aware of him, I have never had the chance to meet him and our paths haven’t crossed but he is a great player and I wish him all the best in his career.

“I am the sort of person who does not have to compare themselves to anyone in terms of their celebrity or fame. He has chosen his career in tennis, I have chosen mine in football.

“It would be nice to be well known, but if things go well for the club and if they go well for me at the same time that is great.

“I have been recognised and it is nice when people come up and say hi and ask for a photo, that is fine by me. It’s nice but I haven’t been out since I scored and the only reason I wear a cap or a hat is because of the cold!”

“I am a pretty chilled, laid-back sort of guy. I am not going out all the time, I might have a stroll out to the shopping centre, but I am happy by myself.

“You need to rest a lot to play football, so I am happy resting up and recuperating. I watch a bit of television and I go on my PlayStation.”

Although Alcaraz has crossed the Atlantic Ocean on his own, he is still in contact with his boyhood friends who used to go with him to watch his local team, Gimnasia y Esgrima, and everyone was getting in touch after his heroics in south London. He said: “Gimnasia and my passion for the club came from my mates who lived close by in the district.

“One parent would take all the kids and I was seven when I started going and then at 14 we would all go on our own to the game. I am still in touch with those friends.

“We have a WhatsApp group, the same three or four of us who went to the games when we were kids and we keep in touch. There were loads of messages after Saturday.”

Another person Alcaraz speaks to is the other Argentinian footballer in the city, World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister who scored in last week’s 2-2 draw between Everton and Liverpool in what was Goodison Park’s last-ever Merseyside Derby. Reflecting on the game, Alcaraz has the room in fits of laughter as he remarked: “Loco, loco!”

He added: “It was a mad derby, a crazy match, we were ahead and then in the end we managed to get a draw so a pulsating game and to say that was my first derby wearing this shirt I really enjoyed it, it was a fantastic occasion. I am in contact with Alexis.

“We send each other the odd text and WhatsApp. We were in contact before the game, during the game and not only is he a good player, he is a good guy off the pitch as well.”