Features
LUN 20.01.2014
The Liga Adelante has many recognised virtues and one of them is the youth players that come through the ranks, adding freshness to a championship that is renowned for being one of the most competitive in the world. The result of all this is that many of the players that dazzle fans around the globe have cut their teeth in the Liga Adelante.
New beginnings are always complicated. The situations of the teenaged players in the Liga Adelante vary greatly. Some of them have come up through the youth academies and are still waiting for their chance to play. The most advanced, have already played in the Liga BBVA, despite their youth. This is the case for several footballers at the Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona youth academies.
Córdoba CF midfielder Sebastián Moyano 'Sebas' is the division's youngest player. Despite his 16 years, his coach, Pablo Villa, has already called him up on several occasions. Sebas came up through the Andalusian outfit's under-15 team and, although he is still yet to make his debut for the blanquiverdes, he is acquiring some useful experience by training on a par with his teammates.
At 17 years of age, one of the stars of the lower ranks of the Spanish national side and those of RC Deportivo de La Coruña is Javier Fernández Abruñedo 'Bicho' (Sada, A Coruña). The player has already appeared six times in the Liga Adelante and if his progression continues, he could become one of the most promising midfielders of the Liga Adelante. His left foot and an outstanding imagination are the greatest assets of a confident young man who plies his trade as an attacking midfielder. Some fans have dared compare him with the great blanquiazul Fran.
FC Barcelona B is the youngest team in the Liga Adelante. 18 of the 26 players in the squad are under 20 years of age. At the other end of the scale is CE Sabadell FC whose average is 29.5. The youngest member of their side team is the Japanese Sotan Tanabe who is 23, six years older than Eusebio Sacristán's most youthful player, Adama Traoré.
Traoré is a product of the Masía, and at 17 years old he shares a squad with another young hopeful, Jean Marie Dongou. The pair form a formidable duo. Traoré has already scored in his two matches, and was a key to his team's draw against AD Alcorcón. Dongou, for his part, has played in the UEFA Champions League against Celtic FC and has scored for Barça's first team in the Copa del Rey.
Likewise, midfielder José Rodríguez, having made his debut for José Mourinho last season against CD Alcoyano (and scoring a goal), and in the Liga BBVA against Club Atlético de Madrid, has also appeared for his current manager, Carlo Ancelotti, this season, something that speaks volumes of his quality.
They are many other hopeful young players honing their skills in the Liga Adelante. From the 1995 generation, Salva Ruiz (CD Tenerife), Julio Rodríguez and Álex Serrano (Real Sporting de Gijón), Daniel Iglesias (Deportivo de La Coruña) and Baldomero Santana and Sergio Moya (Hércules CF) all bring added value to the division with their youth and ambition.
© LALIGA - 2014