Blanco out to establish himself at Valencia CF

Like the majority of players who have come up through the VCF Academy, Álex Blanco is a boyhood fan of the club and comes from a family of Valencianistas. Growing up at the time of David Villa, Juan Mata and David Silva, Blanco was captivated by the team and did not hesitate to join the academy when offered a place.

"I remember when we saw the players in the car park at Paterna, or when they walked down the corridor to go to the dressing room. We would peek our heads around the door to see them," he recalls.

It would be destiny, then, that led to him making his LaLiga debut for Valencia CF against Silva, who was playing for Real Sociedad, last month.

The first time Blanco -who hails from Benidorm- set foot in Mestalla was with his colleagues from the VCF Academy, on a day in which the first team were officially presented. He remembers that "I was amazed by the stadium. Going in there and seeing all of the people in the stands was awesome. It's a memory that will never be erased from my mind."

"I've always been a Valencia CF fan and I've always wanted to play here. I'm a homegrown player and I'm very comfortable here," says the midfielder.

"I enjoy every day and every opportunity that the coach gives me to try to stay here for many more years," he added.

After loan spells at Deportivo Alavés and Real Zaragoza, Álex Blanco is trying to show everything that he has learnt away from Mestalla, in order to establish himself in the Valencia CF first team in 2020/21.