Having scored the winner, Joao Pedro was always likely to be the subject of questions to Watford head coach Slaven Bilic in the Wigan press room after the game.

The 21-year-old has drawn praise all season long, and Bilic was happy to add to it after he showed a proper centre forward’s heading ability to grab the 87th-minute winner.

“I was going to say he has a bit of everything but no, he has a lot of everything,” said Bilic.

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“He’s Brazilian so he’s got that flair, he dribbles, he’s sharp. But also he’s quick, he’s strong, he can use his body.

“That was a centre forward’s goal today. And for the last 20 minutes we played him as a centre forward because he is very versatile.

“One of the reasons he’s not playing at centre forward the whole time is we need him, especially when we don’t have Louza. We need him to get us up the pitch without having to kick the ball long.

“He can play all four positions up front. I said to my staff, lets say that we needed cover in the areas where Choudhury and Kayembe play, I know we have Gosling but Pedro could play that role. He has everything.

“He can play up front but it’s a bit of a waste really. Without him, and not having Louza, him playing where he is helps us to come forward.”

From his position just behind the main striker, Pedro is being encouraged to move all over the pitch.

“From the number 10 role, he likes to roam and we want him to roam,” said Bilic.

“If you play down the sides you can also roam but you are limited.

“We want him always close to the ball and that’s exactly the position he’s playing.”

Bilic also spoke highly of another South American youngster, 18-year-old Yaser Asprilla.

“He is a young boy of rare talent. His touch, we see that in training on a regular basis. He’s going to be special,” enthused Bilic.

“He has things that you can’t teach. But he’s 18 and he’s a kid that has moved not just to a different country but to a different continent. He doesn’t speak a word of English, so it’s not easy for him. But the club and everyone in it is helping him.

“He is a very explosive player. I’m not going to say the sky’s the limit, but then I’ve just said it! It’s up to him and he will get our help.

“The key thing is he is willing to learn and that is so important. When he came on today he was very active, he played some good balls, and he’s willing to defend.”