1 Suso has impressed with Almeria

Get ready for the SASAS, Kopites. talkSPORT’s Spanish football correspondent Lee Roden has his finger on the pulse of La Liga and here he profiles the exciting Liverpool youngster learning his trade in one of Europe’s best divisions…

Last year was an exceptional one for Jesus Joaquin Fernandez Saez de la Torre, better known as Suso.

At the tender age of 18, by the time the summer had passed, he had won the U19 European Championship with Spain. By the autumn, he had made his first team debut with Liverpool. By the new year, his number of appearances with the Reds had reached double figures.

In the summer of 2013 he faced a different task, however; the challenge of going on loan to a new league, playing as often as possible, and hopefully, returning to Anfield a more mature player, ready to start games regularly in the future.

The good news for Liverpool is that he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and is succeeding in his mission. In fact, many in Spain simply can’t stop talking about him.

Suso’s situation at Almeria couldn’t be more different to the one he was accustomed to at Liverpool. At Anfield, the Spaniard was a bright young talent, facing the pressure of breaking into the first team and attempting to maintain a high level that would keep him in Brendan Rodgers’ plans.

At Almeria, on the other hand, he is the club’s superstar – despite still being only 19 – his reputation from Spain’s youth teams as well as the stature that comes with playing for Liverpool elevating him above players with far more experience at the Andalucian club.

In the face of that expectation, the youngster has shown incredible maturity, never shying from the ball and constantly looking to help his side out. Suso seems to thrive on the pressure, aware of what he can bring to the struggling team, and is notably happy to play across any of the attacking midfield positions in order to assist as best as possible.

The player recently spoke at length about his decision to join Almeria, despite other major offers, in an interview with Sandra Galvez. His words show just how dedicated he is to Liverpool.

“I had bigger offers than the Almeria one, in particular one from Germany, but I wanted to stay attached to Liverpool, an important team for me. When I learned of Almeria’s interest, I didn’t think twice. My goal is to play as much as possible, experience La Liga, and help my team to stay up.”

So far, he is certainly doing his best to help them in their goal. Almeria currently sit second from bottom in La Liga, yet with only three points more, they could be three places clear of the drop zone. It’s tight down there, and it is already evident that the Liverpool loanee will be key to their hopes of escaping.

His ability to provide goals is particularly crucial. With five assists so far in the league, he only trails Atletico Madrid’s Koke and Barcelona’s Neymar in that department.

His most recent assist came in a vital 1-0 win over Valladolid last weekend. It is fitting therefore that Valladolid fansite Blanquivioletas.es talked up his ability ahead of the game, noting that he is the ‘kind of player that can cut an opposition defence open and change the tide of a game’.

They add that ‘his strength is undoubtedly his vision, he is capable of threading passes to strikers that most players couldn’t even imagine, and he can do it thanks to his technique and creativity. He’s the kind of player you can expect anything from’.

It’s safe to say that they are impressed with the Liverpool man, therefore, and like many in Spain, they now have a clear picture of his virtues after a relatively short period of time in the league. That says something about the impact he has had.

The eulogies don’t stop there. Vavel.com talk of Suso as a player that is ‘the biggest attraction’ at Almeria. They add that he is ‘one of those players that makes it worth paying for a ticket to see’, ‘when he has the ball you don’t know where he’s going to surprise you, his repertoire of techniques is infinite, it’s very difficult to get the ball off him, and he has a golden left foot’. Again, like the others, they also stress just how important he will be for Almeria if they want to stay up.

In truth, from a Liverpool perspective, it isn’t particularly important if Almeria get relegated or not, but what is important is that Suso is playing regularly and playing well. In that regard, everything is going to plan for the Reds, and if things continue on their current trajectory, it would be a shock if Brendan Rodgers doesn’t consider him as part of his plans next season.

As it stands, not only is Suso playing well, but he is playing so well that he could yet save the Andalucians from the drop. Should he manage to do that, he will leave Almeria a hero, just as he already looks likely to return to Liverpool a finished product.

Liverpool fans, do you see Suso as a future regular for the Reds? Let us know below…