Álex Collado: determined to be a success in first team squad

"I won't drop back down to Barça B", said Álex Collado following Barça's first pre-season friendly against Nàstic last Wednesday. While some may view this as a challenge to the coaching staff, it is simply a declaration of intent from a young player who has played in various youth categories throughout the years, waiting for his chance in the first team.

Collado, who is now 22 years old, needs to take a step forward in his career. After being a key player for Barça B - something which is expected of all academy graduates who want to succeed at Camp Nou - he now wants to remain in the first team squad. This is the only thing that is currently on his mind. He is aware that it won't be easy to nail down a place in the squad, but he now has a golden opportunity to prove that he is worth taking a chance on.

Last summer, Collado turned down multiple offers in order to stay at Barça and fight for his place. The club encouraged him to accept one of the offers, particularly one tonight's opponents Girona. However, Collado decided to stay at Barça B, who were a whisker away from gaining promotion to LaLiga Smartbank. After a successful campaign, Barça activated a clause in his contract to tie him down for another two years.

Wednesday's friendly was Collado's third appearance for the first team, after featuring once under Ernesto Valverde and once under Quique Setién. The Sabadell-born midfielder wore the captain's armband in the second half and even managed to get on the scoresheet. This evening he will have another opportunity to prove his worth to head coach Ronald Koeman.