Salva Ballesta: “Castillejo will provide a lot and the fans will love him”

Former Valencia CF players Salva Ballesta knows new signing Samu Castillejo very well, having coached him at youth level when at Malaga CF. He spoke to VCF Media about Castillejo's performances and what he can contribute to the team.

When I arrived at Atlético Malagueño as coach, one of the ideas that the director of the academy and his technical secretary had in mind was to transfer Samu and Juanpi. I went to the club offices and told them that if these players were removed from the project, I didn't want to take over the team. I did not understand the decision to get rid of them.  

On a human level, Samu is a sensational person, very well balanced and with a family that is very good for him. On a football level, he is a different kind of player. He is a player with a lot of dribbling skill and speed, who can play in several positions. I like him a lot and LaLiga suits him very well. He is an infinitely more mature player than when I coached him. I've had contact with him and I'm glad he signed for Valencia CF, because he's only going to make LaLiga bigger.

Having a spell in Italy makes a player mature. It’s a strong and physical style of football that is difficult to adapt to. He comes here with experience. He is a player who talks on the pitch and who is close to people in the dressing room. He is going to contribute a lot and is going to be phenomenal for the Valencia CF fans.

I like him playing on the right wing. I also used him there, since I like to have the flanks free to leave room for the fullbacks. I like to put the wingers inside, to have the possibility of playing one-twos or shooting. Also, Samu reads the game very well. He is an electric player and wins a lot of set pieces. He is a great signing.

He has been part of heavyweight teams that generate tension for the players. We know that the Valencia CF fans are very demanding; Wonderful, but demanding. In that sense, Samu is very capable for any type of situation. He is not going to be daunted just because a match or a move don’t work out for him. He is a player who continually asks for the ball and faces opponents.

In addition to coaching him as a player, I had a very, very good relationship with him. He assimilated everything. I communicated to him the potential that I believed he had. Once I told him that he was going to sit out several games for various comments that he had not actually made, but to grow as a footballer it was important that he make those people see that they could not make those kinds of comments.