Three Former Madrid Strikers on What Makes Gonzalo Garcia Different

AS spoke with three generations of former Real Madrid Castilla and first team strikers to analyze the emergence of Gonzalo Garcia, whose recent scoring form has reignited discussion around the club’s academy pathway and the profile required to succeed at the Bernabéu.

Joselu: “I already said it back then: when he trained with us, you could see that his main quality as a striker was his goal-scoring instinct. What I like most about him is his madridismo — in the end, he’s a player who feels the colors, and that shows in every match he plays; he gives everything for the badge. From the moment he came up to train with us, you could see he was a kid with a lot of qualities and an impressive goal-scoring instinct. In the end, to succeed at Real Madrid, beyond having footballing qualities, you have to feel it, and I think Gonzalo is a kid who, from the first day I saw him working with us, showed flashes in training. It doesn’t surprise me at all, and I’m extremely happy for everything he’s achieving and for his success at the club.”

Javier Portillo: “He’s a very strong player in physical, one-on-one situations, a center forward who knows how to link play. He has a strong aerial game and is a striker with hunger and ambition. He has goals in him, but not only that — he also puts in a lot of defensive work. He needs to be given more opportunities. He already kicked the door down with Castilla at the time, then at the Club World Cup, and now against Betis. Above all, he’s a penalty-box striker with good technical resources when he’s inside the area. But it’s not just that — he’s a very complete footballer and still has a lot of room to grow”

Adolfo Aldana: “I discovered him over the last two seasons, especially in Primera RFEF with Castilla, when he came to Algeciras to play. Last year was incredible — he scored four spectacular goals here, each one in a different way. He impressed me so much that I spoke with my former teammate Santi Aragón, who works in Madrid’s academy, and I told him: ‘This kid is a gem, he has to be with the first team now.’ He told me he thought the same and that it would happen soon. Then he played in the Club World Cup and did very well. His qualities are extraordinary, as a finisher and even as a second striker. He has an incredible future. When I saw him here, I was captivated — he can finish with his head, score a half-volley, strike the ball brilliantly with both feet… And on top of that, he’s an intelligent and generous player. If I were Real Madrid, I’d make use of him like other clubs do”