Brighton youngster Matías Orozco has managed to surprise even the scout who discovered him, following his impressive start to life in Spain.
The 18-year-old made his Castellón debut at the weekend after joining them on loan from the Seagulls.
We’ve already covered how well that went. Orozco looked comfortable almost immediately, despite having trained with his new teammates for only two days.
Now Colombia’s El Heraldo have spoken to Agustín Garizábalo, the Deportivo Cali scout who first spotted Orozco when he was just 11.
He’s watched the midfielder develop for around seven years. Yet even Garizábalo didn’t quite expect what he’s seeing now.
“I’m surprised myself by what I’m seeing from him. He’s on another level,” he said.
‘Matías Orozco isn’t restricted to one position’
Garizábalo has quite the record of finding Colombian talent. His discoveries include important exports such as Luis Muriel, Gustavo Cuéllar and Rafael Borré.
His latest success is now owned by Brighton, and he believes Orozco has qualities which suit the modern game particularly well.
“He’s a player for this era who knows how to play,” Garizábalo explained.
“He isn’t restricted to one position, he plays from the position. Above everything, he enjoys playing. He has a natural dynamism and charisma that very few have. Even opponents speak well of him.”
That versatility is something Garizábalo noticed long before Brighton came along. In fact, there’s a nice story from when he first took Orozco to Deportivo Cali.
“When I took him to Cali, they asked me what position he played,” the scout said. “I said I didn’t know! Just that he attacked and defended so well.”
That’s probably as simple a description of Orozco as Brighton supporters could ask for.
Brighton signing was tracked from the age of 11
Garizábalo first saw Orozco playing for youth side Escuela Barranquillera in a tournament in the town of Sincelejo. The midfielder was only 11.
The scout continued following him through local and national competitions before deciding it was time to take him to Cali.
“When he was 14, in June 2022, he went with another 13 players to a 15-day camp in Cali,” Garizábalo recalled.
“My boss, Edward Muñoz, decided to keep him immediately. He officially joined in August of that year. From then on, he went through a process of development in the academy until Gamero gave him his debut.”
Manager Alberto Gamero handed Orozco his senior debut at just 17. Brighton have now taken the next step with him, buying the midfielder and sending him to Castellón for his first season in European football.
Garizábalo’s assessment perhaps explains why there has been so much excitement around him. He even thinks Orozco’s relationship with football itself is a little different.
“I don’t know whether it’ll end up being a weakness or not, but he always prioritises playing above any other value,” he said.
“If professional football disappeared from the world tomorrow, Matías would undoubtedly be one of the few players who would continue playing football just for pleasure. I can’t imagine him doing anything else. I don’t think he’ll ever be an employee of football.”
A promising future
There’s obviously a very long way to go before Brighton know exactly what they’ve bought. Orozco is 18 and has played around half an hour of European football. Castellón is supposed to be the place where he learns and develops this season.
Still, Garizábalo isn’t someone getting carried away after watching one good debut. He first saw Orozco at 11, tracked him for years and eventually took him to Deportivo Cali.
Seven years later, even he’s looking at Brighton’s new signing and seeing something he didn’t quite expect. “Another level” isn’t a bad place to start.
