Bryan Gil Salvatierra – Sevilla’s playmaking whizz-kid
Bryan Gil would sleep with a football at the foot of his bed while spending his time walking around the streets of Barbate, a picturesque coastal town in Cadiz, with a football under his arm. He continued to enhance his relationship with the ball when he would play street football with children older than him as his parents did not predict a professional football career for him until a gentleman who watched him and his friends play advised his mother, Raquel to take him to the Barbate football school at the age of six. Bryan was similar as a boy to the man he has become today with a lithe and wily frame, topped by long black locks swinging as he twists and turns out of tackles and glides across the pitch. Cadiz quickly noticed his talent while Sevilla would be the club to sign him as he would have to venture to another part of Andalusia to continue his development.
He would need to travel to Seville four days a week for four years as he would leave school, travel and return home while eating in the car to wake up two hours before school to study and do his homework. The 19-year-old would be the first player born in the 2000s to have an assist and score, scoring a goal a month before Ander Barranetxea completed the same feat against Real Madrid, as his hardwork at a young age is beginning to pay dividends as he was also one of the stars of Santi Denia’s Spain U19 side last year. He is currently on his second loan as he thrived on loan in Leganes despite the side being relegated while he has had an impressive start to his stint at Eibar.
As a teenager, he would come off the bench for Sevilla, gliding past opponents as his hair gently caressed the atmosphere, showing his turn of pace and penchant for clever twists and turns. However, as he began to feature prominently in the early games of Sevilla Europa League campaign, it was clear that he would need to earn more experience with a loan. Sevilla’s Head Coach, Julen Lopetgui is no stranger to developing and coaxing Spanish talent but it was clear that the 19-year-old would not be in his plans as he was breathing life into the careers of Sergio Reguilon, Munir El Haddadi, Oliver Torres and Suso as Leganes proved the perfect place for the youngster to continue to develop his talents.
Away to Osasuna, he was deployed on the right of Javier Aguirre’s 5-4-1 shape but given the freedom by the Mexican manager to tuck into the centre to receive possession, work connections and add some creativity to the side. He showed his dribbling ability when he weaved past two players to cut past another before playing a perfectly directed and weighted pass into the centre. For a teenager, with so much responsibility in La Liga football, he had the football intelligence to pick up clever spaces in the defensive line once he released the ball to work quick one-twos while he did not crumble after shouldering the creative burden of Oscar Rodriguez, who would join him at Sevilla in the summer. The 19-year-old was unyielding in shouldering his defensive responsibilities, dropping back to cover for the defender on his flank, pushing forward ferociously when the opposition played back-passes as once he would regain possession, he was clever in playing the first pass to facilitate counter-attacking transitions.
Bryan would then play a cross from the right flank before cutting inside to receive possession, dribble and slalom past players to create an avenue to the left flank before turning and working a pass to a teammate. He then weaved into the box, held off a teammate and an opposition player to have a tame shot on goal. The 19-year-old was unphased by the pressure of being a regular starter in La Liga as he filled a creative void at Leganes while bringing some excitement to their play. He would have the tough task of playing against his parent club, Sevilla as he found it ‘strange’ but was undeterred by the moment. In the 34th minute, him and Suso were chasing after the ball as Gil used his savvy to stick his leg out and position his body in between Suso and the ball to twist away from him and lob a cross onto the head of a teammate to have the opportunity saved.
Bryan was playing on the left flank as he was more comfortable receiving possession in between the lines in the build-up phase, turning and working a passes into the next line while in the opposition half, he would receive possession with his back to goal, turn and drive the ball at the opposition defence before working a pass into the nine space or spreading the ball into the wide areas while he moved into the box. He was becoming a more well-rounded attacker as it can be a tough task to relieve him of possession as he can stride forward but meshes a feline-like agility with his long and wiry stature. He can be driving at a defender before executing a full 360-degree swivel to turn away from him while he can also change direction quickly to leave his marker lunging at air. The 19-year-old Spaniard also has a turn of pace to drive away from attackers while he has the body to shield possession and draw fouls in the higher areas of the pitch.
In Leganes’ final match of the season away to Real Madrid, Bryan Gil started as he showed his ability for cutting inside and changing direction to beat players as well as a renewed endeavour for his defensive duties. He took a touch on a delivery before striking at goal before he received the ball in the left half-space as he turned and played a perfectly weighted and angled ball for his wing-back to cut-back a cross for an attacker to have a shot at goal. In added time during the first-half, he ghosted into the box before the ball was switched to his wing-back to cross to him as the youngster took a touch with his right boot before finishing from a tight angle with his favoured left foot. Leganes would face relegation as Bryan Gil would return to Sevilla with more experience in tow as he hoped to carve out a role for himself under Lopetgui.
A starting role would be out of his grasp as he has been sent on another loan to Eibar after there was a rumoured loan to Cadiz which would have proved exciting to the local fanbase. He would be Eibar’s sixth signing of the summer as they sought to replace the creativity of Fabian Orellana who had moved to Valladolid. He would have to play his full debut against Sevilla for the second time on loan as he continued to be strong when holding the ball after tucking in from the flank, connecting play in the final third and weaving past opposition players. He was even involved in Eibar’s winning goal as he received a pass in the opposition half to lay-off for Papa Diop to thread a pass through to Kike who finished with aplomb.
His second game would be a loss to his hometown club Cadiz as his twisting and turning after receiving the ball was innate, with his first touch was exemplary. Him and Takashi Inui would occupy the same zones and vertical lines to work quick combinations in wide build-up interchanges as well as in the final third. The duo worked a one-two where the ball was played behind Gil in the channels as the 19-year-old adjusted to the wayward pass well to turn and play a cross which was deflected wide. He had another cross to the back-post as his deliveries with his magic wand of a left foot have become high-level as he should have assists from crosses as the season continues.
“I hope to meet the goals, get a little more into the category, have minutes and gain experience to progress as a footballer. I am here to help the team, to be one more, to help with everything I have, and I think it is a very good opportunity," said Gil to Marca upon signing for Eibar.
He also told the Spanish news outlet that he would be able to help the side in 1v1s and tight spaces as the 19-year-old could be set for a breakout season in the Basque country. His loan at Eibar could be akin to Santi Cazorla at Recreativo Huelva from Villareal as an attacking midfielder playing under Marcellino as Bryan Gil will be playing under Jose Luis Mendillibar as this season could prove transformative in his maturation process as Cazorla’s loan proved to be for him. He could have a full season of professional football under his belt as well as an U21 European Championship where he could be key to another highly talented Spain side.
