Rising through the ranks of Barcelona is a task not many are able to accomplish quite easily. The youth academy of the Catalan club is one of the most intense and demanding across the world of football. However, when certain players do tend to stand out, Barcelona ensures that they receive the adequate ecosystem to thrive.
Over the last couple of years and seasons, many new faces have emerged. Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, and Marc Guiu are just a few such names. One more that continues to inspire those around him as he progresses is young Aleix Garrido.
A 20-year-old midfielder who has previously received the praise of Xavi himself, Garrido is among the most mature players within the subsidiary. As highlighted by SPORT, he is now becoming more and more of a regular for Barcelona Atletic as well.
Over the last nine games under Rafa Marquez, Garrido has started all of them. His maturity, coupled with his immense technical ability, has made him a great asset for the subsidiary coach. Despite only having one goal and two assists in 17 appearances, he continues to be valued for other reasons.
The exact value of Garrido can simply not be identified through mere goal statistics. His range of passing, composure, offensive creativity, ball recovery, and even his work rate are all exceptionally good qualities of his.
Primarily an interior midfielder, he often catches the eye due to his passage of play with his forwards. In fact, he has been so impressive that first-team call-ups have been a regular occurrence for him. However, that specific experience is not full of joy for him.
Apart from his debut last season against Elche, Garrido has never basically featured for the first team since. However, he has made the leap to regular Barcelona Atletic action after dividing his time between Juvenil A last season as well.
Already in his twelfth season as a Barcelona representative, having arrived in 2012, the 20-year-old aims for the first team. Being aware of his own qualities, the youngster continues to work towards that goal. The Barcelona first team remains his ultimate desire, and he seems to be on the right course to achieve it.