The 15-year-old midfielder has played two matches with the women’s first team
Making your debut for the first team is a dream for any academy member. Very few are able to do it, so when it happens, it’s always worth celebrating. Villarreal CF decided, a number of years ago, to firmly back women’s football. The Yellows Academy is constantly forming more and more top-level players, which can be seen in the women’s first team’s squad. Sara Monforte has a lot of players from the academy at her disposition.
One of them is Vera Rico Trilles. The 15-year-old midfielder played her first minutes for the first team against Córdoba, fulfilling a childhood dream. “It was an unforgettable moment, I will never forget it. Although we couldn’t win, I was very happy to make my first-team debut,” she said.
This weekend she played once more, coming in at the end away from home against Tacuense, a match which saw the Yellows win 0-1.
But Rico’s football story started many years ago, when she was just six. Benicàssim, her birth town, was where she took her first steps in the football world. She started to train and play with ACD Benicense, but soon attracted interest from Villarreal CF: “In school, I always played football with my friends, so I decided to start playing for Benicense. Soon after, Villarreal CF were interested in me, I had a trial, and from then on I’ve been a Yellow.”
It wasn’t only football for Rico though, as she started with influences from another sport. She started to play football alongside gymnastics, but soon had to choose between the two. “When I was younger, I shared my passion for football with gymnastics. Then there was a point where I preferred playing only football. It was a difficult decision, but I made the right one, I’m sure of it,” she added.
She currently is registered with the C team, but from the start of the season has been playing and training with the B team. That was until a few weeks ago, when Monforte noticed her talent and decided to call her up to train with the first team. It was a pleasant surprise for the young player. “It’s a dream come true being able to play with players that are so good,” she concluded. Vera Rico, remember the name.
