Manchester United’s close group of Spaniards consists of David de Gea, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera… and Emilio Alvarez.
The club’s goalkeeping coach is very much one of the gang, and when the media chase the footballers around Cheshire to see where they’re going to dine, he’s often somewhere in the photographs.
Alvarez first started working with the goalkeeper at Atletico Madrid and has been asked about that by El Pais: “Yes. He was the fourth goalkeeper after Asenjo, Roberto Jiménez and Yoel. They thought about loaning David but after the first training I told Quique (Flores Sanchez): ‘You have to put him in to play’. He was 17 years old and very thin, but had the talent.”
The coach didn’t move to Manchester United at the same time as his former pupil, but has made it clear that the relationship between the pair meant that the switch was always a possibility: “Since David signed, he had always tried for me to go with him. But it is difficult to happen in such big clubs. Until Mourinho signed, with whom there was already a good relationship when they faced our teams, and it was done.
“So I am grateful to David, to Jose and Mendes, who is my agent.”
El Pais were surprised that a goalkeeping coach has an agent, and Alvarez made it clear they’re not the only ones, with some teasing seemingly going on at Carrington: “Yes, for many years. Ander Herrera, David and Juan Mata laugh at me because they say that I am the only goalkeeper coach who has an agent.”
Given Mourinho had played a big part in the coach arriving, and he was then part of the Portuguese’s staff, El Pais asked how Alvarez managed to stay at Manchester United: “It seemed like I had to leave. My only link was the relationship with David and my continuity has been to continue my work with him. I was prepared for everything, but the club told me that they wanted me to continue; I talk to Jose and I can only be grateful.”
The Spanish newspaper then wanted to know if there’s a difference between what Mourinho demands from a goalkeeper, and what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does.
They got a blunt answer: “Yes, but I can’t say.”
