Borja Iglesias, at the age of 29 and after a career built step by step, from Second B to the top, wins a position in the Spanish team
In 2013, Borja Iglesias (Santiago de Compostela, 1993) was 20 years old and played in Segunda B. After passing through the academies of Valencia and Villarreal, the Galician striker faced a new phase in another illustrious academy, that of Celta de Vigo, as the last chance to make the leap to the elite or establish definitively as a notable player in the bronze category of Spanish football.
At the time, while the Pandas were starting to earn their living as a battering ram for the Celtiña subsidiary, Luis Enrique took over the reins of the Balaídos bank after a turbulent time at Roma. Football stuff, no one could have imagined that almost a decade later the Asturian coach would be the Spanish coach and the Galician would be part of his final roster for the latter for the World Cup in Qatar.
In the latter part of that campaign, Borja Iglesias was part of some training sessions of Vigo’s first team, directed by Lucho, but the trajectory of the two would be very different from then on. While the coach won the treble with Barça in the 2014-15 season and extended his time at the Camp Nou until 2017, the striker continued to compete for the bronze fields of the north until he finally exploded with 34 goals in 39 games in the 2016 season – 17, in which Celta B fought for promotion to Second Division.
From there the jump to the silver category in Zaragoza. In La Romareda, where he now returns with La Roja, he shone on his debut in professional football. Up to 43 games between the League, promotion play-off and Copa del Rey and 23 goals in a campaign of great memories in the Aragonese capital have left an indelible mark on a player who is now returning through the front door. “I have experienced emotional and very beautiful moments there and it will certainly be special. They have shown me their affection many times and in many ways,” the Panda recalled with Spain-Switzerland in the town of the Ebro on the immediate horizon.
Borja was destined to become a First Division footballer and the jump was swift, a season in the Second Division and a platform to the elite in the hands of Espanyol where he again, in the most difficult yet, the increase of the number of players did not notice. the level of the rivals. His 17 goals in 37 games in the 2018-19 season convinced locals and strangers alike that they were facing a top-tier striker, a condition that was definitively reaffirmed in a long and established stadium at Betis, the best in lately in the green and white club.
Two consecutive seasons in European competition or the third Copa del Rey title in the history of the Betic entity are achievements that have already made this team led by Manuel Pellegrini and by extension Borja Iglesias a part of the club’s history. The last door missing, that of long-time acquaintance Luis Enrique in the national team, and the strong start to the season, with six goals in as many games, finally convinced the coach of the qualities of a striker unlike him. has already.
“It is difficult to talk about yourself. I try to learn every day, to improve in aspects where I had many shortcomings before. I am still in a process of improvement and I enjoy it very much. I am also lucky to playing in a team that works well and that’s what makes me here today,” said Panda, an atypical footballer in times of stars, when asked about the virtues that have brought him into football so far.
The smile on the face of a man of cheerful disposition, who now enjoys every moment of concentration in the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas, cannot be erased. “It’s a very healthy group, very good, and that makes it easier to adapt,” he sums up. The competition is fierce, but the Panda is willing to work until the last drop not to miss the World Cup train. “I don’t feel examined. It’s just a chance to show my qualities up close. When I was taking exams, I was much more nervous,” he assured, with the humility aware of his capabilities and willing to enjoy an experience he couldn’t imagine when he was a hard-working Second B striker.
Source: La Verdad
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
