How Suso's career looks back on track after his flop at Liverpool
The might of the old Rossoneri sides can act as a mere inspiration for the current side that Vincenzo Montella is rebuilding back into something special. And one vital part of that side is Suso, a man who has grown just as his current side has.
Having arrived from Premier League giants Liverpool at a time when his career seemed to have come to an awkward standstill, Suso had been a bit part player at Anfield during the 2012-13 campaign that saw the Reds finish seventh in the league. The youngster made only 14 Premier League appearances, failing to score or assist even once.
The captures of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho from Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively had made chances hard to come by for Suso. Disciplinary issues existed though, as the youngster was once accused of passing homophobic comments against teammate Jose Enrique. Despite not playing enough though, the Spaniard had done enough to earn rave reviews from many and it seemed like another academy graduate was about to make the cut in the first team.
While the promise was there, there was a lack of guarantee for game time and Brendan Rodgers was happy to send him out on loan to then La Liga outfit Almeria. And it was there that Suso got the opportunity to truly shine. His contributions kept Almeria in the division by a single point and the fact that he scored three times and assisted seven times proved that he was feeling at home.
Back at his actual home at Merseyside though, the sale of Luis Suarez had handed the club a massive vault to break. The arrivals of Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic pushed him down the pecking order and a move to the San Sir followed at a time when the Rossoneri were riddled with uncertainties. The club had missed out on European football for the first time since 1999, and it was a strange place to be.
Chances were hard to come by until 2016 came and Filippo Inzaghi paved way for Sinisa Mihajlovic at the helm of affairs at the club. Suso had never been a regular in the first team and the new Serbian boss had little trust in him to break into the side. The beginning of the new year brought a move to Genoa, where Suso was handed the number seven jersey, a gesture that went onto highlight the importance he ended up carrying at the club.
In just half a season, Suso scored six times in 19 appearances, helping Il Grifone finish as high as tenth in the Serie A.
And as Mihajlovic’s days back at Milan seemed done and dusted, it was time for Suso to capitalise. Montella handed him a near permanent spot to play in on the right flank and his system used the directness and flair in wide areas that Suso provides.
It was the 2016-17 campaign that was enough to suggest that the once skinny and scrawny lad of 17 was close to realizing his potential. Milan did finish sixth, but Suso emerged as one of Montella’s most important players in a side that was young and always looked to play attacking and attractive football.
Suso scored seven times, assisting as many as nine times in a season that established him as one of Serie A’s most promising Under-23 sensations. It wasn't just the stats that made him special, but the manner in which he played was impressive too. He was always positive, looking for the ball on the right and liked to take defenders on to beat them as if they weren't there.
And the new contract comes as something he deserves, after all that he's done to coming close to fulfilling what was once expected out of him. As things stand, he had scored twice and had assisted twice in just as many games for Montella’s new look side. And the very fact that the former Fiorentina boss has allowed the Spaniard a hold of the right wing spot proves that immense amount of trust that Montella has in Suso, despite all the lavish spending in the market. Things, for 23-year-old Suso, can't look anymore rosier.
By Kaustubh Pandey