The footballers from the province of Castellón, formed in the Villarreal CF youth academy, share their experience and offer advice for youngsters at the club
There is no better advice than that which your idol can give you. A person who has achieved what you dream of achieving one day. That valuable reward was given to Villarreal CF youngsters who lifted the league title last season.
The youth football coordinators gathered them in the press room of the Estadio de la Cerámica for a special celebration of last season’s success, as the FFCV (Valencian Fotball Federation) had sent the trophies to Villarreal CF. The day was rounded off by Pau Navarro and Pau Cabanes, two young talents forged in the Yellows Academy, who have burst into the first team by convincing the ever-demanding Marcelino García Toral.
During the session, the Paus took the floor and offered advice to the dozens of young talents who listened attentively to the Submarine stars. “I’ve been here for 11 years. I’ve been through the same stages as you and I’ve lived your experiences. You have to be patient and enjoy the journey,” advised Pau Navarro.
Along the same lines, Pau Cabanes stresses the importance of not rushing the learning process: “It took me a while to adapt in some stages. Not everything was easy, far from it. The key is to have patience, manage the difficult moments when you have teammates ahead of you and keep working with confidence.”
Like the current academy players, both the defender and the winger won important titles at the same age. “They were championships that I remember fondly, but there was also a season in which I was a little behind in terms of growth, I played few minutes. It coincided with the pandemic. I took advantage of the confinement to come back with more motivation and earn a place in the team,” explains Navarro.
The family environment is another of the success factors that drive a player to reach the elite. “My parents have never put any pressure on me about football. I’m very grateful for that. For them, the important thing is that I continued studying and was consistent academically,” confesses the defender.
Both the defender and the striker could feel what the youngsters were going through. None of them could see themselves reaching professional football at this stage. “I felt for the first time that I could be a player this pre-season. When Marcelino called me up, I realised that I wasn’t really that far away. Little by little I started to be called up and to be in that situation,” says the striker, who ended the meeting with a piece of advice for the young academy talents. “My advice is not to rush and go step by step. Live day by day, with your feet in the present. You have to flow and let what comes along. Don’t forget that being in this academy is incredible.”
The day ended with a family photo of both teams with both players in the first team dynamic. An inspiration for them. The example of two talents from our province who have reached the elite of Spanish football after many years of training in the youth ranks of Villarreal CF.
