Tottenham forward Bryan Gil is already winning over fans at Valencia, after an impressive showing in his debut against Cadiz.
The Spurs youngster joined Valencia on loan until the end of the season late in the January transfer window in search of regular playing time away from London.
He moved to Tottenham in the summer transfer window but has struggled to establish himself under Nuno Espirito Santo and his replacement Antonio Conte.
The club still have high hopes for him, though, and so rather than sanctioning a full sale, they have sent him back on loan to Spain to continue his development.
And the early signs are positive on that front, with El Desmarque reporting he’s already made a big impression on his debut.
They explain that such was Valencia’s need for Gil that he ‘barely had time to settle’ in at the club before he was making his debut in the Copa del Rey clash with Cadiz.
The hope for the Spanish club is he can bring ‘dynamism and a lot of imagination’, and his first minutes as a Valencianista have suggested he’ll do just that.
According to them, Gil was impressive throughout the game, but there was one moment in which he started on the wing and cut inside that had fans in the Mestalla ‘off their seats’.
That move, which they label his ‘trademark’, saw him cut inside and begin dribbling past opponents ‘like there was no tomorrow’, leaving four of them behind him in the process.
It earned great applause from those in the stands, including commentator Kiko Narváez, who was left in ‘astonishment’ by the action. So much so he was heard on commentary saying, “he reminds me a lot of Paulo Futre when he had the ball.”
Futre, for those that don’t know, is an Atlético Madrid icon who managed 47 goals in 198 games for the club and was known for his dribbling ability, so it’s high praise indeed.
As far as those watching are concerned, his debut proved his ‘magic’ will ‘undoubtedly be a great weapon’ for Jose Bordalas and Valencia in the second half of the season.
Of course, Gil has a way to go before matching Futre or proving this deal was a good one for the Spanish side, but as debuts go, it seems his went according to plan.
