Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz is making a positive impression on loan at Sevilla with head coach Quique Sanchez Flores hailing a ‘brave’ and ‘powerful’ centre-forward.
Make no mistake, this is not one of those loan spells where a young player can develop his game away from the limelight and free from expectations.
Sevilla, after all, have spent much of this season treading water against the rising tides of a relegation battle, in front of one of the most impassioned fanbases in Spanish football. Alejo Veliz, then, is unlikely to be afforded too much of a honeymoon period as the Argentina starlet looks to showcase the talents which encouraged Tottenham Hotspur to invest £13 million into bringing him in from Rosario Central last summer.
Alejo Veliz making good impact in La Liga
Quique Sanchez Flores, Sevilla’s former Watford coach, has certainly been impressed by hte way Veliz has adapted to life in Spain, however, hailing his ability as well as his attitude.
“Alejo is brave and attentive,” Sanchez Flores tells ABC de Sevilla. “When he goes out (onto the pitch), he knows what he has to do and that leaves me very calm.
“That’s what you’re going to see. A boy who’s generous in his effort with good movements. Powerful.”
Veliz has only played four minutes of La Liga football so far, coming off the bench late on in last week’s 0-0 draw with Valencia. The rangy centre-forward certainly has the opportunity to make quite the name for himself this time around, Sevilla travelling to La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Sunday night.
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“(Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou) told me to take advantage of this opportunity in a huge club, and to do my best to try to gain minutes,” Veliz tells Marca. “Then, time will tell.
“I come with high expectations of being able to adapt, contribute and continue growing. Being younger, I think we are very hungry for glory, to go out and eat up the field and go for everything. That is my thinking.”
“I am a forward who is going to run after all the balls and is not going to give up,” Veliz adds, possessing the fiery streak that appears to run through all Argentine centre-forwards.
“I am going to give everything of myself, as the club wants. (Sevilla) trust me for a reason. But, like any forward, what I like to do most is to score goals.”
“Before arriving in England there were already conversations with Sevilla. Rosario Central then decided that (to sell me) to Tottenham, but there was already that link. I had seen videos of Sevilla and, that this (opportunity) has emerged is very nice for me.”
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