VÉLIZ: "I AM A STRIKER WHO LEADS THE LINE"

Alejo Véliz has sat down for his first interview as a Sevilla player, after joining the club on the final day of the winter transfer window: "I feel very lucky that I've been able to adapt quickly thanks to the lads, especially the Argentines. Honestly, I feel very happy having taken this step in my career. Everything happened very quickly. Coco has been so welcoming, We've already built a very nice bond. He invited me to his house, and we had a great chat, so I feel very comfortable at the moment. The youngster recently visited the city with Spurs teammate and former Sevilla star, Bryan Gil: "I came out here with Bryan about a month and a half ago, I got to know Sevilla and his village. Bryan always spoke very nicely about the club, and before I came here I talked to him. I asked him lots of questions and and he said, Go for it brother."

Asked how he would describe himself as a player, he said: ""I'm a striker who leads the line. Like any striker, what I like most is to score goals. The truth is that I feel good regardless. When I was at Rosario, at first I played as a second striker and then I also adapted to playing as a lone striker, so I think I can adjust to whatever position I need to play."

"Bryan always speaks so highly of this club"

He also confirmed his betief that young players have lots to offer; "We are hungry for glory, and go out relishing the chances that we're given. That's my mindset at least." Véliz spoke about his Spurs manager, Ange Postecoglou, who gave his seat of approval, describing Sevilla as "a huge club and now I must take advantage and make the most it, leaving everything on the pitch. Time will tell. Hopefully I can pick up some minutes on the pitch. I had a short chat in the gym with Quique Sanchez Flores. He asked me how I was. I said I'm doing well and he wished me a speedy recovery. The team need us to be all united and pull together for the same goal."

Reflecting on his youth career, he emphasised how his chance to make it at the top level came quite late: "When I was 17, I was at home, in my village, playing in the village team and things moved from there very quickly. I learnt lots at Rosario Central and then the pandemic hit. I went home, and considered leaving the club because of the tricky situation, but thankfully my mum told me to stay and give it a go. So I stayed and as the matches resumed during the pandemic, after three weeks we learnt players were testing positive for COVID, which meant that reserve players like me were called up. So as I transitioned to the first team, I put in some good performances. I am so grateful for the opportunity Kily González gave me and I had enjoyed a fruitful season and a half before I was sold to Tottenham."

Before that breakthrough moment, the Argentine had another passion that he pursued for a Iong time - dancing! "I was very fond of traditional dancing. I started dancing from the age of three until I was 15, I was playing football and dancing, unlit I was forced to make a choice. Thankfully, it was the right decision which has led me where I am today. There was a competition where I had to go and dance in Cosquine, which is one of the biggest stages in Argentina, and I almost won! Everyone has their own celebration, but the last time I was called up for the national team, I said that if I scored a goal, I was going to celebrate and well, I scored a goal and I celebrated it with a malambo. So, I promise that when it's my turn to score a goal, I'll celebrate like this, OK?"