Ones to Watch: “The Magician” Andre Gomes

Last season there were a lot of heroes in the dressing room at the Mestalla. Nicolas Otamendi deservedly won rave reviews for his aggressive style of defending, popping up with vital goals in the biggest games. His defensive partner Shkodran Mustafi grew to become one of the most reliable defenders in the game, never afraid to put his head where it hurt. Club captain Dani Parejo was the second-highest scoring midfielder in the league. Diego Alves produced some key stops, notably penalties, to keep the team’s momentum going. But there was one other ‘hero’ who deserves as much praise as the others and that was Andre Gomes.

Andre Gomes captured the hearts of most Valencianistas last term with his brand of silky, elegant football. While Valencia’s side, and particularly its midfield, is jam-packed with talent his absence is the one the team is feeling the most after the opening set of games. I saw and heard Los Che fans on TV programmes, radio stations and social media demanding the club signed a player to link the midfield and attack all while having the very answer under their noses.

I don’t remember many people signalling Andre Gomes out to be Valencia’s best signing in the summer of 2014. At Benfica he was a player that had struggled to break into the first team. Stuck behind Nemanja Matic and Ljubomir Fejsa at the start of the 13/14 season he found himself left out of most match day squads. When Matic moved back to Chelsea in January of that season Andre must have thought it would signal more playing time for himself – but it didn’t. Instead of Benfica turning to Gomes, they turned to current Valencia teammate Enzo Perez.

He was viewed as a player with potential at Benfica but one accused of not being ready to make the step up to the first team. His touch often let him down and his decision-making was questionable, but Andre was only 21 and finding his feet. Even then though, you could see his work ethic and desire – he never went hiding after making a mistake but at a club like Benfica there was no need to rush him into the side if they didn’t need to.

Andre Gomes arrived on loan alongside Rodrigo Moreno but there was no doubt the moves would be made permanent once Peter Lim, the man whose company had bought the players in the winter of 2014, was installed as the owner of Valencia CF. The cost of Andre Gomes was €15m – not expensive but not exactly cheap either for a player with very little top level football under his belt.

“I feel really, really happy. This is the best thing to happen in my career.” These were his words back in February of this year when talking about his move to Valencia. “I couldn’t ask for any more.” He’s as classy off the pitch as he is on it and that immediately made him a fan favourite. The Mestalla rose whenever he got on the ball as they knew he was capable of producing something special, and it’s those kinds of players that make football worth watching.

He’s ambitious too as he’s repeatedly stated the need for a club as big as Valencia to always win. He knows breaking the duopoly is almost impossible but refuses to rule out a title bid. Yet that ambition doesn’t stray into arrogance as the man himself is very humble. Throughout last season he was constantly asked about his impressive performances but he remained calm; his feet firmly on the ground. “I’m only young and I’m at a stage of learning where I always need to give more.”

It’s sometimes the most creative players that take their foot off the pedal when it comes to the dirty work. Maybe a game isn’t going their side’s way, so they decide to hang around the centre circle with their hands on their hips, only taking them off to gesture towards a teammate for an errant pass. Andre Gomes isn’t like that. Despite being the creative lynchpin of Valencia he was always the first man charging like a bull to get into the penalty area to break up an opposition’s attack. And once the side had regained possession, off he went again, looking for the pass to set Valencia on the counterattack. You could see the desire he had to be better every time he played. Fans ask for little more than that.

He also embraces the physical side of the game. His all-energy style means he is often caught up in midfield battles where he gives as good as he gets. When asked how he’d define himself as a player he said “responsible”. That’s so true. He’s aware of everything that is expected of him and doesn’t make excuses to do one role over another. The praise actually makes him feel uncomfortable, you can tell. It’s that youthful shyness which only adds to the likeability of the Portuguese international.

It’s no surprise to hear his idol is Zidane as you can see there are parts of his game which are similar to that of the France legend’s. He even admitted one of the reasons he chose the number 21 shirt at Valencia was because Zidane wore it while at Juventus. “As a child, I loved watching Pablo Aimar and Zidane.” Guess what shirt number the Argentinian legend wore at Valencia? 21.

Andre is effortlessly comfortable on the ball, always offering an outlet for his teammates and spotting their runs. If no one is available then he’s confident enough in himself to go marauding forward until a pass is on. Like Zidane, he’s not afraid to have a pop at goal when close enough and actually possesses a decent shot. He’s perhaps not going to score 20 goals a season but he’s certainly capable of getting 10-15.

I remember watching a lot of Luka Modric when he was at Spurs and believing he’d turn into one of the best around. It’s those players that make difficult passes appear second nature, who appear to barely get out of first gear but actually cover more ground than most on the pitch. That humble background stops an ego from developing but their influence continues to grow on the side week after week. Andre Gomes has already become indispensable to this Valencia side and most things originate from him. He’s a special player and soon everyone will realise that.

There is already established interest from the Premier League in his signature. While he was technically on loan at Valencia there was an offer from Chelsea in January of this year worth approximately €50m on the table. It was dismissed out of hand by Valencia, as they had no intention of selling someone they saw as a vital part of their future. When quizzed if he knew of the offer which supposedly matched his then buyout clause, he said: “The player also has to decide. If I say I don’t want to leave, it doesn’t matter if someone offers €50m.”

It won’t be long before he’s also promoted to the senior squad at international level. Portugal are virtually assured of their place in Euro 2016 but the current, ageing side is on the decline – it’s more dependent on Cristiano than ever before. It wouldn’t surprise me to see some of the U21 stars make the tournament’s squad and Andre Gomes, once fully fit, should be a part of that. If he performs like he has done for Valencia they could be one of the dark horses to lift the title.

At the moment Andre Gomes is happy in Valencia. He loves the club, the fans, the food and the weather but if he continues his upwards trajectory then expect the interest in him to continue to grow as well. For Valencia to stand any chance of keeping him happy they need to grow with him, or, as was the case with the aforementioned Luka Modric and Spurs, run the risk of losing the glue that holds the entire team together.