The Villarreal head coach has given debuts to these two 19-year-olds from the province of Castellón

Marcelino García Toral has once again turned to the youth system. In less than a week, the Asturian has given Pau Navarro (La Vilavella, 2005) the opportunity to make his debut against RCD Espanyol and Pau Cabanes (Burriana, 2005) against Las Palmas. Both debuts with a sweet taste and victory. With the 26 and 33 on their backs, respectively, the two very young 19-year-olds born in the province of Castellón, took advantage of this magnificent opportunity, which they had been waiting for since, as two children, they first set foot in the José Manuel Llaneza Training Ground.

Youth players with strong connections to the club and a long career at academy level. The kind of players that Fernando Roig and José Manuel Llaneza dreamed of when, 26 years ago, they built the training complex that now bears the name of the legendary former vice-president. Two boys ‘made in Miralcamp’ of the more than 100 that Villarreal CF has produced since Fernando Roig’s project was launched at the end of the 90s.

Marcelino opens the doors of the first team to young players

In his first spell as Villarreal manager, Marcelino García Toral gave 11 youngsters from the youth academy their debuts. Some of them consolidated their place in the elite, such as Rodrigo Hernández, Alfonso Pedraza and Aleix García. Others broke through with strength and a lot of youth, such as Nahuel Leiva and Adrián Marín, but did not reach the level expected of them far from Vila-real. Apart from them, Edu Ramos, José Naranjo, Israel Puerto, Sergio Marcos and Miguelón Llambrich also had their chance.

With his arrival in 2023, Marcelino faced an urgent situation. He took the reins of the team in a compromised area. He turned to veterans and winter signings. There were not many options for the youth players. The early elimination in the Copa del Rey at the hands of Unionistas de Salamanca and the demands and wear and tear of Villarreal B in the Second Division did not allow for any major incursions of the younger players into the first team. Only Lekovic made his first team debut under Marcelino last season.

Pre-seasons are the right time for talented youngsters coming through the ranks to have their chance to impress the head coach. And that is precisely what Pau Navarro and Pau Cabanes did, as Marcelino García Toral acknowledged, expressing total confidence in both youngsters, who have been regularly involved in the first team dynamic. “They know that the door to the first team is open to them. They have to break it down. We don’t have an excessively large squad. Villarreal are always committed to their home-grown players. In my previous period, I think I proved that. And in this one, whoever deserves it will be here,” said Marcelino after the game against UD Las Palmas.