Watfords Yaser Asprilla: His football education and evolution

The question was inevitable. The reply, perhaps, was not. Yaser Asprilla, when asked if he could emulate the success of former Newcastle striker — and namesake — Faustino in England, was brutally honest in his response in January. “The way I’m going, humbly, I think I am going to be better than him,” he said at an Envigado press conference after his move to Watford was confirmed. “I believe in my characteristics and in my talent. I know this is going to be a great experience, in this most beautiful of careers playing football.”

Advertisement

What did ‘Tino’ think? “I think it’s great,” he said to Blog Deportivo. “He shouldn’t just think about me, but a lot of players who were even better than me. I hope he can overtake us all because that’s good for football and the Colombia team.”

The 52-year-old Asprilla watches from a distance, rather than having a family connection. “If he plays well, he must be a relative of mine. If he plays badly, he isn’t!” he says with a smile.

Yaser — full name Yaser Esneider Asprilla Martinez — was born in Bajo Baudo in 2003 in the Choco region on Colombia’s Pacific coast, 90 miles north west of Tino’s home town of Tulua, further inland. The new Watford signing, who grew up in Cali and Palmira, was discovered by Envigado scouts playing for his school side in Tienda Nueva at a youth competition known as PonyFutbol or ‘Baby Football’.

Around his 11th birthday, he was taken under the wing of a club famous for their orange shirts (their nickname is El Equipo Naranja) and their youth academy. Envigado, to the south west of Colombia’s second-largest city Medellin, has a small 11,000-capacity stadium but a big heart and they supported him and his family, including Yaser’s five siblings.

It’s a club that has produced big names like James Rodriguez (formerly of Everton and Real Madrid), Fredy Guarin (ex-Inter Milan), Mateus Uribe (Porto) and many more. The academy is affectionately known as the “Cantera de Heroes” (or the Quarry of Heroes).

Asprilla is the latest rough diamond to be unearthed.

“We call him Cheo,” Wilberth Perea — one of Asprilla’s youth team coaches at Envigado — tells The Athletic. “I was able to develop a unique chemistry with Yaser, a great human being and a great player.”

Perea has coached a number of Envigado’s recent youth products, including Jhon Jader Duran, a big centre-forward who signed with Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire last season. When speaking with Perea, one realises that the coach has a special level of esteem for Asprilla.

Advertisement

“Even though he wasn’t from Antioquia, we gave him the No 10 shirt,” he adds. “It was a vote of confidence but it upset a lot of people because (Asprilla) wasn’t from the region. It’s a number that symbolises great names from the past who have worn the (10) for Antioquia.”

Former Colombia international and Boca Juniors legend Mauricio “Chicho” Serna wore Antioquia’s No 10 shirt. Atletico Nacional legend Alexis Garcia as well.

“A lot of people were offended that Yaser was using that number. We were convinced that Yaser was going to do marvellous things and via his talent, he has proven us right,” says Perea.

“Yaser is a difference maker because of his personality and because of what he’s capable of. It’s not a direct comparison, but he reminds me of what Ronaldinho used to do. (Ronaldinho) would solve problems in extraordinary ways. People couldn’t believe what they had seen. I think Yaser is capable of that.” 

It was bold of Perea to make even a measured comparison to Brazilian legend Ronaldinho. Asprilla is a talented player whose skill has stood out in a country that has consistently produced flair players. But Asprilla is still only 18 and there is no guarantee of success in English football.

Yet, Perea has always believed Asprilla is much more than just a luxury player. He is impressive with the ball at his feet, but from a young age, he was able to absorb information and execute consistently.

“I’d always separate him from the group and have a private tactics talk with Yaser,” adds Perea. “I’d let him know what I expected from him, what I needed from him in a very direct way. He’d digest the message and that allowed us to maximise his potential.”

Perea’s relationship with Asprilla was forged in adversity, and camaraderie.

“When Yaser first came to the Antioquia select team, he had a real fear of flying. We had a game in Monteria and I remember that we took a late flight. We experienced really bad turbulence.

“Yaser stood up and started yelling ‘Perea, Perea! You need to get me off this flight! I need to go back home! Get me off this plane!’ He was yelling at the flight attendant. He wanted them to open the door and let him out. I told him ‘Yaser, we’re at almost 20,000 feet. That’s impossible. Calm down.’” 

“He had a panic attack but managed to calm down when we began our descent. But for whatever reason, the plane couldn’t land at that moment and the pilot had to take the plane back up. Yaser yelled ‘Profe, you told me we were going to land! We’re going back up! No, no, no, no!’ He was desperate.

“After that, we’d give him travel sickness tablets so that he could sleep. Looking back, it’s a funny story. He always says that I’m the one who is afraid to fly. He’d hold my hand and I’d hold his and ask him, ‘Who’s more scared right now? Me or you?’ In the end, we were both terrified, but he was more scared than I was.”

At ground level, things are calmer. Asprilla has grown up quickly under the spotlight of Colombian football. Perea insisted Asprilla will excel in England if he’s given some tactical freedom on the pitch. 

“Yaser has really matured cognitively, physically and in how he comprehends the game,” says Perea. “When I met him he was a boy with extraordinary skills but along the way he has grasped footballing concepts. He has evolved tremendously, today he runs a lot more, covers more ground, he’s more dynamic. A lot of coaches have helped him develop that part of his game.” 

Alberto Suarez was one of those: “Yaser is a special player,” he told Blu Radio. “We hadn’t seen players with Faustino Asprilla’s style for a while, as they are more athletic and less skilful. What makes him special? He plays while thinking. He doesn’t just play with his feet, but also with his body. He is a typical old-school player.”

Advertisement

Envigado gave him a debut just two weeks after his 17th birthday. He appeared twice in 10 days, after the initial 18-minute cameo against Independiente Medellin, two minutes from the bench followed against Pereira in December 2020.

His breakthrough came in the latter part of the following season when he scored five goals (and picked up an assist) in just 15 games between July and October. It heightened interest from many clubs with South American scouts. Midway through that run, and three days after he’d scored in the 3-2 victory over La Equidad, news of Watford’s deal was broken by Envigado, outlining that he’d sign paperwork on November 19, once he had turned 18 — reminiscent of the arrangement of Joao Pedro’s transfer from Fluminense in 2018.

“In the hands of Watford is one of the best players in recent times in Colombian football”, Envigado president Ramiro Ruiz told Win Sports. “Several offers from important teams in Europe arrived, but we have had a long-standing relationship with Watford and, with what we have been developing, we are confident in the sports project they have for Yaser.”

The fee paid by Watford to Envigado is understood to have been £2.5million ($3m), with the Colombian side due a further windfall.

“Watford acquire 100 per cent of the federal rights (overall ownership) and 80 per cent of the economic rights, Envigado keep 20 per cent of the economic rights (meaning that percentage as a future sell-on),” Ruiz explained.

The last goal of his eye-catching run in 2021 came against Millonarios, where consecutive dummies left two defenders on the floor before he stroked the ball home with his favoured left foot. It was a cool and collected finish — and he’s like that off the pitch too.

Yaser Asprilla's latest goal #watfordfc pic.twitter.com/FrjviUrFRm

— James🐝 (@wfcJamesH) October 27, 2021

“He is very calm, very respectful and adheres to the guidelines of the coaching staff and the institution, he is one of the best players I have managed, I have not seen this type of player for a long time, within my player career I have seen few with the ability he has, if he continues to focus and is well accompanied, he will become one of the best players in the world,” says Suarez.

Although featuring for Envigado in a variety of positions across midfield and attacking positions, in 40 club games (including six goals and three assists) he’s most frequently spent his time in the central and inside right position as this Wyscout career heatmap illustrates.

“He plays behind the striker, a mediapunta as we call it,” explains Perea. “He has to have the ability to play box-to-box, to fight and identify where the free spaces are and then occupy them. But what’s most important is his creativity. Yaser can provide a solution out of nothing, when you least expect it.” 

“When I coached him I would tell the boys, ‘Give the ball to Yaser.’ It was a very clear instruction. Yaser can suddenly provide a through ball and break lines or finish spectacularly. He’s one of those players who is different.” 

January 2022 was a whirlwind month. Not only was his transition from Envigado to Watford made official, with an agreement that he would stay on loan in Colombia until the summer, he was also selected for the national side. He made his debut against Honduras in the USA on January 16 2022. After 42 minutes, he replaced Juan Quintero, another graduate of Envigado’s youth academy, and slipped into his midfield role expertly.

Advertisement

There were snapshot moments when his quick feet came to the fore and he was happy popping off quick passes and going in search of a return.

Two incidents stood out in the performance that suggested maturity beyond his years, the first (above) showed a typical awareness to find effective space in between the Honduras midfield and attack. Once he received the ball, which he’d demanded, he drove forward into the inside-left channel. Although he came under pressure, a quick one-two saw him back in possession before taking a shot that only went a yard wide and had the crowd on their feet.

The second example (below) of game awareness came in the build-up to the winning goal. After receiving the ball on the right, he made the decision to advance into a vacant area. He showed purpose and patience in drawing the Honduras defence across before reversing a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Yimmi Chara, who got to the byline before pulling the ball back for Andres Colorado to score.

Perea was watching. “Yaser approached the opportunity with great responsibility and he delivered,” he added. “He’s going to be an important player (for Colombia). The hope is that the new manager will track Yaser and make him a part of his project.”

Before leaving his homeland, he visited Envigado’s training ground to bid farewell to his coach and team-mates before following in the footsteps of another Colombian to the UK. “Cucho Hernandez left his mark (at Watford),” says Perea. “He opened the door for Yaser and I believe that Yaser is destined for the same path. He’ll do the same for other Colombian footballers.”

Soon after, most probably with a few nerves, he boarded a long-haul flight to link up with his new team-mates at their Austrian pre-season camp. First to meet him out of his chauffeur-driven car in the Alps was head coach Rob Edwards. 

“It’s a new way of life for him. That means he will go through a lot of change in a short space of time, but the one thing that doesn’t change is getting out on the grass and playing football,” Edwards told the Watford Observer. “He’s got that bit of magic, a bit of street football about him. I’m excited about him, and I’m sure fans are too, but we also have to have an element of patience with him. We have to make sure we look after him and ensure he settles in properly.”

After a few hours’ sleep — 6,000 miles from home — it was straight into training, then 48 hours later he was given a 20-minute cameo against Panathaniakos as an introduction.

Within 10 days of arriving he’d scored his first goal in a pre-season friendly against Wycombe.

🆕🇨🇴

A first run-out for Yaser Asprilla this afternoon!#WatfordFC | #WFCPreSeason pic.twitter.com/zRgY8xvgCE

— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) July 10, 2022

The first words we heard from him as a Watford player were, “Good morning,” then came a broad smile in a social media clip. 

“The first time I saw him speak English was saying ‘good morning’ in that video,” Matteo Esposito tells The Athletic. The 22-year-old returned last month from a trial at Envigado where he got to know Watford’s new Colombian arrival. “I was speaking to him a little bit via other players who could translate into Spanish and he sounded really excited. He’s someone who lived and breathed football from an early age and you can even see that from the passion that comes out even when things aren’t going well on the pitch. There’s a real desire, fire, edge in him.”

Asprilla in the house! 🏠🇨🇴#WatfordFC pic.twitter.com/Hypm0cUxfX

— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) July 7, 2022

“Even before I trained, I could see by his aura, he was very confident and looked like he was always enjoying himself, dancing, joking and laughing. He had that confidence, even arrogance about him — in a good way — and didn’t feel anybody could stop him on the pitch.”

Advertisement

“Swagger is the best way you can describe it, he’s just so unfazed and he’ll carry that confidence into Watford. I honestly believe people will be shocked by his ability and he’ll be able to make noise in the Championship.” 

Although Esposito didn’t play in competitive matches for Envigado, he trained with Asprilla every day and watched games live. “He’d play either on the right of an attacking three in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 or (in the latter) as the central attacking midfielder. But he would never really be fixed out there, similar to the Lionel Messi role where he’d float in between spaces and have a free role. They knew that if anything was to happen in regard to a goal or assist it was likely to come from him. He enjoyed having the team on his shoulders and making things happen.”

Even though those shoulders, at first glance, don’t appear to be that broad. “It’s easy to look at someone’s appearance and automatically make a judgment on them,” says Esposito. “He’s very lean, but he’s an intelligent player and his technical ability gets him out of a lot of situations. In England, with access to more coaching, strength and conditioning and nutritionists he’ll naturally be able to add to his explosiveness, strength, power, core strength no doubt.”

Having been up close and personal with Asprilla, where does he fit in at Watford? “In a 3-4-3 I’d have him on the right of the front three, as attacking-minded full-backs across that midfield will be able to create space for him on the inside,” says Esposito. “In a 3-5-2, he’d have to play as one of the offensive midfielders, which is more of an offensive No 8 than a 10 — which will be a role that’s newer to him, because although he does work hard going back, it’s never been part of his position description.”

Esposito says while in Colombia, he was impressed with Asprilla’s focus on the job in hand rather than getting ahead of himself with the move to England on the horizon. Painting a picture of a young, humble and generous person. “I saw how blessed and grateful he was for the financial stability that he’s gained through football,” he says.  “He would always help his friends out. He was sponsored by Nike and always gave his stuff out to friends and family and really looked after them. I said to one of the boys out there, ‘He’s gonna get the shock of his life when he goes to England, because life is so much different’.”

(Top image: Instagram)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57km1nb2hmZnxzfJFrZmlvX2aEcMXArJyrZZGovbO1y6WYZq%2BRqbOwvsNmnK%2BnnKrBqrvNaA%3D%3D