Left Back Football

Ander Guevara made his first-team debut for Real Sociedad at 21-years-old despite being named as a captain in many of the youth teams as well as being identified as a prospect for the future. Real Sociedad had such a logjam of homegrown deep-lying ball-playing extraordinaries - with David Zurutuza, Xabi Prieto, Asier Illaramendi and Igor Zubeldia competing for the midfield role in the first team - that Guevara was unable to get an opportunity. Xabi Prieto has retired, Illaramendi has struggled with injury while Zubeldia has been repurposed as a centre-back, granting Guevara the opportunity to quickly tie down a first team place. His mobility and technical quality have set him apart as the Basque club continue to develop high-quality deep-lying midfielders.

Ander Guevara left his hometown of Vitoria at 13 or 14-years-old to join Real Sociedad’s Zubieta-based academy as he has come through the ranks like the players before him to put together some impressive performances with the first team. He has also embarked on educational development as he studies Law at University level with the goal of pursuing a master’s degree in the same course alongside his burgeoning playing career. While he was trying to establish himself as a first-team player, there were rumours of a move to Alaves, but he never lost sight of his ambitions with the first-team, showing patience, drive and focus to reach his goals.

During the second-half of last season, Guevara earned his debut at home to Levante at the base of midfield. Despite the game being his first taste of La Liga action, Guevara martialled the six space with authority, constantly pointing out passes for the centre-backs and showing for the ball in tight situations. Early in the game, Real Sociedad where constructing play on the right lateral zone before Mikel Merino worked a pass into Guevara, who was following play while holding his position in the six space for the debutant to side-foot a pass in between the lines to the striker. The young midfielder has tremendous mobility and balance as well as the ability to pass the ball with both feet. He showed this when he intercepted a pass in the six space to drive forward with his right foot before playing a pass to the right flank with his left foot.

He then received a pass in the opposition half with an opponent rushing to close him down as he calmly swivelled, sending his marker into no-man’s land before playing a pass to Mikel Merino with his right foot for the midfielder to attempt a lob into the box. Guevara consistently twisted and turned to shield the ball while looking for penetrative passes through the lines. He also shone with his defensive diligence as his mobility give him the requisite tools as a high pressing defensive midfielder. In the first-half, he pushed forward to win possession before turning to face his own goal, as he was now under pressure, to work a pass for a teammate to play a chip in between the lines.

After his side lost possession from a throw-in, he pushed forward to make a perfectly timed lunge as the man in possession was trying to spin in order to regain the ball. Guevara has a willingness to pursue the man in possession while always remaining cognizant of his role in the team shape as he pushed into the forward line to make a challenge for Real Sociedad which led to an immediate counter. Guevara is adept at covering the small spaces while also being proficient in the longer spaces to make clever well-timed challenges and avoiding going to ground to make rash challenges. Guevara attributes the production line of great midfielders from Real Sociedad to the internalized education the players receive at such a young age.

“In the end, from the bottom one works very well, the basic concepts of the midfielder are very internalized and since childhood they teach us to profile, orient ourselves and play forward. And there you see the results,” said Guevara to AS in July last year.

Guevara had to be patient again to build on a strong debut performance as he replaced Zubeldia at the base of midfield for a match against Alaves this season. Guevara would drop into a three-chain in between centre-backs Diego Llorente and Aritz Elustondo in possession while sitting at the base of a midfield diamond in the pressing phase. While Real Sociedad were in the three-chain, Guevara was positioned as a wide centre-back to work a pass in between the lines for Martin Odegaard to take on the pass, nutmeg an opponent and play a sumptuous through ball for Mikel Oyarzabal to let the ball roll across his body to poke into an empty net.

It was a brilliant turn of the game as Guevara began the match by misplacing his first pass as he responded by threading passes through to Merino and dropping in between the centre-backs to great effect. He also spectacularly made a tackle to prevent Borja Sainz from having a shot on goal. He had another moment where he did his patented receive the ball and swivel to then skip past a marker and spread a pass out wide. He then spun away from John Guidetti before receiving a pass with one foot and poking it through the lines for a teammate with the other.

Ander Guevara pass in between the lines.

Guevara then received the sternest test of his career as he started at home to Barcelona. The 22-year-old midfielder continued with his patented twists and turns as he was comfortable under pressure and undeterred by the stage that he was playing at. He constantly tried to work balls for Odegaard in between the lines and scanned the pitch as he turned into passes once he received the ball to great effect. He once worked a back-pass to demand possession again before playing a pass in between the lines to Odegaard. In the second-half, him and the Norwegian starlet continued their partnership as he worked a pass to Odegaard before receiving a pass under pressure to elegantly poke a pass in between the lines to instigate an attack.

Igor Zubeldia was a risk averse passer who was good at keeping moves ticking over but did not progress play like Guevara, so Imanol Alguacil responded by repurposing him as a centre-back in the absence of Elustondo. Guevara has had a run of games in which he has impressed as he will tussle with the returning Asier Illaramendi and Zubeldia for a role at the base of Real Sociedad’s midfield. His influence and authority have only grown as a midfielder as against Osasuna, he was passing the ball to teammates and gesticulating where they should pass the ball. He had another moment where he worked a one-two with a teammate before playing a through ball in behind. The 22-year-old had to wait longer than most for his opportunity but has impressed and continued on his upward mobility in a short space of time.

“But I am very clear about the type of player I am. I am not a beast of player. I have a fairly specific position, I am a midfielder. I think I have a characteristic that has helped me these years, that I am hardworking and constant. And as a result, the prize has come to me, maybe a little later as you say, but I would not change the path I am taking for anything,” said Guevara to AS last year.

Real Sociedad smartly tied down the midfielder to a new contract till 2024 at the beginning of August as his journey between Sanse and the first team has not made them doubt his immense potential. Guevara will continue to have to battle for a first team place, mainly with Illaramendi but should not be counted out as he has a force of will that has brought him this far. The club’s Zubieta-based finishing school is one of the most well-performing in Europe with ample players in the matchday squad and starting line-up, showing the potential to be elite. Time has not moved at the pace of Guevara’s ambitions but that has not stopped him from making the most of his opportunities.