It is funny to look back on Federico Valverde’s early days in Montevideo and think the biggest criticism of him back then was his reluctance to run.
Chueco Perdomo, his youth coach at Penarol, wanted to use Valverde in midfield, only for the confident youngster to declare he was to play as a No 10 with limited defensive responsibilities.
Valverde, 27, has always been talented, going back to when he was eight years old and running rings around players, in a similar fashion to how he toyed with Manchester City’s expensively assembled XI at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
Arsenal tried to beat Real Madrid to the punch by getting him out of Penarol, even using Alexis Sanchez to try to facilitate a move. Manchester United and Barcelona also kept a close eye.
But it also feels like Valverde, for so long operating in the shadows of higher-profile midfielders such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Jude Bellingham, has been under-appreciated for too long.
Speak to people around Real Madrid and they will say he is immense in training, has been a leader on the pitch long before taking on the captain’s armband and runs relentlessly each match, covering a third-best distance of 7.1 miles in the 3-0 win over City.
Federico Valverde, 27, was hailed by Spanish daily Marca after a brilliant display for Madrid
Valverde is mobbed by team-mates after scoring the third goal of a first-half hat-trick
He can play left or right back if required, or defensive midfield, or attacking midfield, or even as a right winger. Whatever the team need, Valverde is there to do it.
‘He was Alfredo Di Stefano, Toni Kroos, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe all rolled into one,’ Spanish daily newspaper Marca wrote after his first career Champions League hat-trick. The gushing praise poured out from every corner of the Bernabeu.
‘I don’t know how many roles he can play,’ said City boss Pep Guardiola on a night which had seen Valverde become only the 21st player to be given a 10/10 rating by French newspaper L’Equipe. ‘He’s incredible.’
Madrid team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold said: ‘I’ve run out of words: he’s the most under-rated footballer on the planet and has been for years.’
For so long the ‘under-rated’ tag was a perfect fit for Valverde, the ultimate team player that is always available – he has played more minutes than any other outfield player for Madrid this season – and who thrives in any and all circumstances. What he did so well the masses might not always have appreciated, but he was an essential cog in the team.
For a while, too, there was a waiting period for Valverde to grow, to reach his potential, to iron out problematic areas such as his diet, something the game’s greats get right day in, day out.
Even before he left Penarol, Madrid stipulated he must have two very specific breakfasts of five walnuts, fruit juice and wholemeal toast, followed an hour later by fruit, milky coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich, all designed to help him grow into the superstar we see today.
It is fair to say the ‘under-rated’ tag is no longer suitable.
Valverde is in the prime of his career and finds himself routinely showered in superlatives and praise reserved for the highest echelon of footballing superstars.
Gone are the days of concerns at home over his diet, or his approach to preparation on the mental side of the game, and now Madrid are revelling in having a player that boasts compelling credentials to be one of the most rounded and complete players in world football.
A decade after arriving from Montevideo, the Little Bird – so-called because of his slight frame as a teenager – has truly spread his wings.
If Valverde’s demolition of City wasn’t enough to finally earn him true household-name status, a dazzling World Cup campaign for Uruguay this summer would surely do the trick.
