Think of the Spanish national team and the likes of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique and Diego Costa come to mind. And why wouldn’t they? They’re all exceptional footballers and have proven time and again how valuable they are for their national team.
Given how the country is so dependent on football, there are thousands of young footballers who enter the professional scene every year and only some of them get to share the limelight with players like the ones mentioned above.
Also read: 10 greatest Spanish players of all time
But who are the most underrated Spanish footballers at the moment? The ones who could get into the national team more often but fail to do so because they either don’t play for a club that is glamorous or don’t do the kind of stuff that’s often caught on camera. Here’s looking at five of them:
#5 Suso
Liverpool fans will remember young Suso as the one who could’ve been and they’re not wrong. While he showed a lot of potential as a teenager, he didn’t quite live up to the initial promise in the years that followed, but how Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp will wish they had him now.
The AC Milan attacking midfielder has finally hit his stride and is seemingly running towards the kind of prophecy that was predicted of him. Suso is a left-footer but is adept at playing on the right or in the centre. He has the burst of pace to make sure defenders are unable to stop him and then his vision kicks in and he’s able to dictate play better than almost every other attacking midfielder in the Serie A.
With six goals and nine assists in all competitions this season for the Milanese club, Suso is a wanted man. There are supposedly plenty of Premier League and La Liga clubs waiting to pounce on him with Atletico Madrid seemingly the ones who want him the most.
#4 Beñat Etxebarria
30-year-old Benat Etxebarria is a full Spanish international having played for the national team on three occasions already, but given his role for Athletic Bilbao and how he anchors their play and allows the attackers to roam free, he is terribly underrated.
Having returned to his childhood club after a spell with Real Betis, Etxebarria has only gotten better. He covers a lot of ground in the centre of the park and has the kind of vision that you can only get by playing nearly ten years of top-flight Spanish football.
With Sergio Busquets, Thiago Alcantara, and Cesc Fabregas ahead of him in the pecking order in the Spanish national team, he continues to remain in the shadows. His performances, though, shine brighter than many expect.
#3 Inigo Martinez
Agreed he's been missing for a while thanks to a muscle injury, but Real Sociedad's Inigo Martinez is an exceptional defender only sidelined because of two of Spain's most successful defenders in Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique.
Martinez, though, is only 25 and has a bright future ahead. He's commanding in the box, quick to read the game and is a threat in the air should his team require it. A Sociedad man through-and-through, Martinez is expected to be a part of the next partnership at the centre of Spain's defence in the years to come.
Manchester United are supposedly interested in signing Martinez but should they act on this interest, he'll cost them around €30 million or so – a steal – given the kind of potential he oozes.
#2 Oriol Romeu
Former Barcelona and Chelsea central midfielder Oriol Romeu was widely expected to replace Frank Lampard at the latter of the two clubs but, bad timing and the pressure of having to settle in quickly, stifled his chance to reach those heights.
Now, under Claude Puel at Southampton, Romeu is flourishing. With 37 appearances in all competitions this season, he's amongst the first names on the teamsheet, given how important he is to the way the Saints play the game.
Only 25 and yet to represent the Spanish national team, Romeu is one of the most underrated Spanish midfielders. Should he continue his fine performances at Saint Mary's, he's sure to get in to the national team. It's only a matter of time.
#1 Lucas Perez
Arsenal forward Lucas Perez was on the verge of joining Barcelona in the summer but chose Arsene Wenger's side instead for the chance of more regular football. Sadly, it hasn't gone according to plan but he remains a player the national team ought to call up soon.
Perez is 28 and is extremely experienced having played in Spain, Ukraine, Greece, Spain again and now in England. He's quick, really quick, has an eye for goal and the technique to ensure he hits the target whenever he honestly tries.
With eight goals and six assists in only his first season at the club, he has the credibility and the experience to make it to the Spanish national team this year. The FIFA World Cup might come a bit too soon, but should he really push on from here and show the selection committee what he is capable of with his performances for Arsenal next season, it might just happen.
