Real Madrid Castilla defender Miguel Gutierrez is making a huge claim for a first-team spot for the 201/22 campaign.
Once touted as the future of the club’s left-back, the player is fast growing into arguably a fan’s favourite even at a tender age.
The presence of Ferland Mendy and Marcelo made it difficult for the 19-year-old to have a shot at opportunities in the early part of the season but injuries and fatigue proved the solution to Gutierrez’s breakthrough.
Gutierrez made his debut for Madrid during the emphatic 3-0 win over Cadiz last month, coming on for the last 16 minutes of the game in place of Marcelo.
As if that was just not enough exposure, he was given another shot of La Liga football in the home game against Osasuna, where he replaced the Brazilian once again.
His performance in that particular game highlighted his attributes as he was on the pitch when all two of Madrid’s goals were scored.
In the midweek fixture where Madrid needed a win to catch up with Atletico Madrid, Zinedine Zidane opted to give the teenager his full debut as he played the entire game against Granada.
The interesting part of his performance was the fact that it was through his pass that Luka Modric opened the scoring on Thursday and his defensive abilities were also evident from the game.
Tipped as one of three Castilla players to gain full promotion next season, it is likely that the presence of Gutierrez in the first-team could mean the end of Marcelo at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the club unwilling to make the same mistake they did with Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Reguilon.
Do you think Miguel Gutierrez has done well enough to earn a chance in the senior team as Mendy’s backup?
