The youngster has been an example of adaptation after a tough start in which he had to overcome a broken fifth metatarsal
Youngster Antonio Nieto left his hometown of Mazarrón just over three months ago to fulfil a dream: to sign for Villarreal CF and fight for the chance to become a professional footballer. At just 11 years old, he has moved into the José Manuel Llaneza Training Ground residence and is now the youngest of almost 100 young talents from all over Spain who have decided to take the step of making a new life for themselves to play in the youth ranks of the Submarine.
This kind of change is never easy. Even less so for such youngsters, who have to adapt to a new life focused on football and their studies, far from their families and friends. This new environment entails a period of adaptation, as José Ramón Villalba, director of the yellow club’s residence, acknowledges: “It’s not easy, there are difficulties at the beginning, but Antonio has managed everything very normally.”
Antonio Nieto’s attitude and behaviour has surprised the residence’s tutors, who highlight his impressive maturity. ‘I knew that at the beginning it was going to be tough because you miss your parents and friends, as well as life in Mazarrón, but the truth is that I have adapted very well to the residence. My team-mates treat me very well. I’m always doing activities and I’m having a good time,” says Antonio himself.
In the middle of the process of adapting to his new life in Vila-real, Antonio Nieto had to deal with an unfortunate foot injury. He broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. A fracture that he has now overcome. “I’ve been out for two months. It hasn’t been easy, but now I’m recovered and focused on being a better player than before the injury,” explains the midfielder, giving normality to the process he has gone through shortly after arriving in Vila-real.
“It is exemplary how he has faced the situation. With optimism, maturity and exemplary behaviour. An injury like this takes you out of the team and for a newcomer it’s complicated. On the other hand, Antonio has handled it brilliantly,” argues José Ramón Villalba, who is full of praise for the youngster: “He has an impressive clarity of ideas at his age. He communicates very well, he transmits things to you. He speaks very well of himself, but also of his parents, of how they have prepared him to come here. He is an intelligent boy, he is doing very well in his studies and his enthusiasm is contagious.”
Antonio Nieto is very satisfied with the welcome he has received from his new classmates. In a short time, he has managed to make friends in the residence: “The boys in the residence help me. I’m the youngest and everyone treats me like their little brother. I try to learn from the older ones.”
In his team – Alevín A (U12s) – he has already made good friends with some of his teammates, such as the promising goalkeeper Romeo Albiol, son of the Yellows footballer Raúl Albiol. Thanks to Romeo, the Villarreal captain was accompanied by his teammate Dani Parejo to support Antonio Nieto during his injury. “It was a very nice detail from Romeo. He knew that my favourite player is Dani Parejo and that he was a bit sad about the injury. He spoke to his father and they came to encourage me,’ says the young player from Murcia.
Having put the injury behind him, Antonio is enjoying football with Villarreal and is very excited about his first season as a groguet: “It’s an elite team. The training sessions are very demanding and fun. It’s been a great year. I would love to be able to play LALIGA Promises. It’s an experience that very few players get to experience,” he said.
Although he has come to Vila-real to play football, he is aware that he has to keep up his studies: “I’ve moved to a new school and both classmates and teachers are treating me great.” The tutors and teachers who strive every day to make life easier for the hundred or so academy players who live in the residence put all their efforts into it: “We teach them to make good use of their time.
The main advantage of living here is that you have more time. That’s why we help them to have a very clear timetable. Those who do better have more time to play and those who don’t get such good marks, we reinforce their study hours. The teachers are very attentive and make it very easy for them. They have classes adapted to the kids. Everything is very well prepared,” says Villalba.
To guarantee the wellbeing of the youth players, Villarreal CF has invested heavily in the complete refurbishment of the residence at the Training Ground: bedrooms, common rooms, playrooms and study room. The club has made this important effort to guarantee the comfort of the players: “We want this refurbishment, which offers comfort and wellbeing, to translate into performance for the boys.”
