What Kevin's 20-minute cameo tells us to expect

He set the Cottage alight on Saturday, but what can we glean from Kevin's debut?

It took all of 20 minutes on Saturday for us to know that Kevin is going to be a twinkle-toed treat to behold.

Much was speculated about our new Brazilian sensation before he flipped the script against Leeds United; he was either going to be a complete flop, unworthy of his club-record transfer fee, or he was going to set the Cottage ablaze in typical Samba style.

Thankfully, his first impression was red hot, and while we may not have seen the very best (or indeed worst) of him yet, we can still expect pure fireworks from Kevin as he gets to grips with Premier League football, and what a thrilling journey it will be for him - and us - in the famous black and white.

Fast and fearless

Nearly every single touch went forward with purpose. No hesitation, no retreating under minimal pressure, the 22-year-old sunk his pearly whites into the meat of the matter as soon as he planted his feet - and they weren’t static for long. Explosive, exceedingly skilful, direct, Kevin is everything a winger of any given era should be: an attacker that hits the byline without delay, rather than finding excuses to avoid it.

He dug out inviting crosses, he forced Karl Darlow into a superb fingertip flick over the crossbar - a sharp shift and strike that led to our late winner - and under close surveillance as Leeds attempted to restrain him, Kevin looked supremely unfazed and comfortable - hallmarks of a player that’s surely got higher gears to slip into when the going gets tougher.

One-on-one experts are few and far between. In the Premier League, there are only a handful that spring to mind and they’re owned by the big guns. Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Jeremy Doku; these are wingers who don’t take prisoners in full flow and Kevin is cut from the same cloth. He had Jayden Bogle doggy paddling as he ripped past him with ease, and I should think Leeds right-back will be the first of many, many victims this season.

Shakhtar Donetsk are renowned for ice-cold South American wonders - we know this all too well with Willian - and Kevin is no exception. In fact, he is Willi’s very own protégé. Stylistically, they’re almost identical. Fearlessly expressive and adoringly impressionable, his aura is big, bold and typical of a motivated, highly talented São Paulo export.

The give-and-goes, the blistering turn of pace, stockpiling step-overs, Kevin has an uncanny resemblance to the Willian that once visited Craven Cottage with that mesmerising Shakhtar team during the 2009/10 Europa League campaign and that means that he is going to know how to break defences down effectively and sensibly, whilst seeking the opportune moment to let loose.

They’re schooled well in Ukraine, so we’ve no issue where refining his approach is concerned. If anything, Kevin is a youngster Marco Silva should entrust to get at the opposition without limitations because once he has his marker by the short and curlies, he ain’t letting go without a one-sided death dance on the touchline.

When he was involved, backsides lifted from seats and the volume ramped up. He is going to get pulses racing, he is going to make grown men shriek like incensed toddlers, he is going to cause a ruckus wherever and whenever he features. He may not shine consistently, it’s only natural he’ll suffer the odd lull, but he will have defenders pressed against the wall, soiled knickers, and he will come out on top of his battles more often than not.

Bogle may not be the perfect acid test for Kevin, mind. He will lock horns with far greater obstacles, although I’d wager he’ll frighten the ghost out of every full-back that stands before him and that is where the fun really begins. They may come with a mean stare and idle chit-chat but a few reverse flip-flaps will soon set them straight.

Great expectations

So, even after a brief, albeit eventful, debut on the banks of the Thames, plenty are beginning to take notice of our latest hotshot on the scene and that will carry a great deal of weight and expectation. The more people fawn in the media, amongst rival fanbases as well as our own, his performances will be praised and scrutinised in equal measure and of course, that could damage his progression if he doesn’t mute the noise from the outside.

The Premier League is centre stage of the domestic footballing world. No other division gets nearly the same coverage and across social media - and the masses have been clucking. The Premier League’s official X account even released a nifty montage of Kevin’s recent outing, so he is very much in the limelight and various other pages and outlets have followed suit. He’s turning heads and spinning defenders, simultaneously.

Ryan Sessegnon was more than moved, Tom Cairney reckons he’s the dog’s gonads, Fulham fandom cannot contain itself and it’s only now you realise we’ve been starved of genuine flair, a virtuoso we can call our own without the threat of them returning to their parent club just a year later. It’s obviously important to not get ahead of ourselves here; we’ve barely had more than a cursory glimpse of his brilliance but I still think he’s got the potential to break boundaries and set new standards.

Shakhtar’s sporting director, Darijo Srna, feels Marco Silva could take Kevin’s game to the next level, high praise from a former player who once graced the Champions League with Shakhtar, and I’m not suggesting Kevin will spearhead a charge for European football, but he’ll certainly boost our chances.

The Miners Weekly couldn’t speak highly enough of Kevin when in conversation with Jack Kelly, too. Shakhtar fans were gutted to see him leave the Donbass Arena but he did so with their blessing, and they agree that Fulham is the ideal setting for him to showcase his skill set to a far wider audience, and boy does he like the destination.

In 57 appearances for Shakhtar in all competitions, Kevin recorded 17 goals and 10 assists. These aren’t numbers that jump off the page initially but given his age and relative inexperience in Europe, they definitely show promise and Marco will have him cooking up a storm in next to no time at all.

I can’t really recall a debutante gaining this much intrigue as Kevin. “Big Six” fans will soon boast entitlement, claiming he’ll belong to them soon enough for a pittance of what he’s actually worth but for now, and hopefully for a good while yet, he’s a Fulham man and seemingly, a nailed-on Fulham favourite. Somebody has to coin a decent chant for the lad, because his name will ring out of terraces far and wide as he cranks up the heat with the ball at his feet.