Ecuador had to make do with goalless draws against Saudi Arabia and Japan during September’s international break, and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moisés Caicedo started both the friendlies for his country.
La Tri manager Gustavo Alfaro was criticised for being ‘too tactical and too defensive’ with his tactics and not utilising the Seagulls midfielder correctly for the national team.
However, this suggestion has been dismissed by the Brighton player. FIFA+ carried out a detailed interview with the 20-year-old and during the course of the discussion, he was asked whether there is a difference in his role with the Premier League side and Ecuador.
He said: “At Brighton, it’s like I have to play a little more positionally, but here in the national team I can go ask for the ball a lot, they give it to me, so I think my teammates give me confidence and I can show how far I can go.
“I think that at Brighton I play a little more positionally, more attacking empty spaces, not going to ask for the ball too low. I think there is a big difference between the national team and Brighton.”
He has repeatedly insisted he wants to develop to become one of the best players in the world.
On this topic, Caicedo explained: “Honestly, I feel that there are always things to improve, you know? Now I can’t tell you anything in particular, I like it when a coach tells you, ‘you’re missing this’ and I put it into practice a lot, I improve it, and I stay with it until I improve it.
“I had talked about it with Alfaro before leaving Ecuador, before leaving for the Premier League, he told me that I needed some things to be a Premier League player, one of the best leagues in the world.
“And I was able to increase them, and that led me to go to the Premier League and be where I am. There are always things to improve, I am improving every day.
“I like to watch a lot of football to learn, so I learn a lot from other very good players out there. So I cling to that, from the best, and try to learn things from them. Sometimes I improve things, and I keep improving them, until I am the complete player that I would like to be.”
When asked what the Ecuador manager told him, Caicedo explained the feedback he has received has helped him end up at Brighton.
“To be a player who filters passes, who wins the divided balls, who asks for the ball and grabs it without fear. And I increased it, increased it, and that led me to be in a team like Brighton,” the South American stressed.
