No enemy to the ball
{mb_sdlf_jugador_SDLF-jugador_frase-destacada}Álvaro Gil looks back on the football career that has taken him to Deportivo Alavés.
He may well be considered an attacking player, but there’s no doubt he is capable of occupying all positions in the middle of the field. He likes to be close to the area, where he can shoot at the goal or create the last pass before an offensive shot is made. Álvaro Gil stands out for his technique and game vision, and has put his skills to use this season at Deportivo Alavés.
“They took a personal interest in me and followed up on several of my matches last year. I liked them and in June I signed with them,” recalls the 16-year-old, Salamanca born midfielder. “We went up to Vitoria, saw the facilities and l liked them a lot. The project is really interesting, definitely feels like it doesn’t fall short of any other clubs here is Spain. It was a great confidence boost, first hearing about the prospect of signing.”
A lot had happened since Álvaro first fell in love with football. “When I was two years old they gave me a small ball and I was always kicking it up to see if it would reach the sky,” says the Alavés Junior. “I think my passion for football is innate. This sport is among the most important things in my life, I enjoy playing a lot and you could say that the ball is my best friend.”
“in marcet i met Alan Godoy, who is currently playing with me on Alavés’ squad”
At 11, Álvaro began his formative journey at Marcet, first coming into contact with the academy by taking part in the Annual Course in Madrid. Then, moving on to the intensive course in Barcelona. “I liked the fact that the campus was dedicated exclusively to football throughout the day, I also remember the values that they taught us and meeting Alan Godoy, who is currently playing with me on Alavés’ squad. I remember having a really good time with him at the Academy.”
When Álvaro was at Marcet, he was playing for Santa Marta. “There, the training sessions were very professional, but they focused mainly on group work, that is, tactically speaking, whereas at Marcet, I worked on individual technique to compensate, which helped me make a lot of progress.”
Such was said progress that Álvaro got a call from the Castilla y León National Team, both for the U-12s and the U-16s teams. Although evidently his most gratifying moment so far is having reached the Alavés club, by all means a historical one that is currently having a great season in the First Division.
“At the moment I’ve been in the youth team for four months and I’m very happy, us new comers have had a very warm welcome and settling in has been much easier than I thought it would. I’m playing loads of games and my goal now is to try to make the staring eleven every week. I’m really looking forward to making the most of this opportunity to continue improving as a footballer and as a person here in Vitoria.”