Moreno To Shore Up
Liverpool’s Defence
Personal information
Full name: Alberto Moreno Perez
Date of birth: 5 July 1992
Age: 22
Place of birth: Seville, Spain
Height: 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position: Left back
Club information
Current team: Liverpool
Number: 18
Youth career
Sevilla
Senior career
2012–2014 Sevilla 61 Appearances, 3 goals
2014– Liverpool 0 Appearances, 0 goals
National team
2013– Spain U21 9 Appearances, 0 goals
2013– Spain 3 Appearances, 0 goals
Spanish full-back Alberto Moreno capped a rapid ascent to the heights of
European football and strengthened Brendan Rodgers’ options in defence by
becoming Liverpool’s eighth signing of the summer in August 2014.
The
22-year-old arrived at Anfield following months of speculation linking him with
the Reds and the apparent interest was little surprise given the remarkable
progress the left-sided defender had achieved during the previous 18 months.
Subject to his transfer, Moreno said: “Liverpool are the best club in
England and I couldn’t waste an opportunity to come and play for them.”
The defender, who becomes Liverpool’s eighth signing this summer, was not
registered in time to play in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Southampton.
Moreno said he spoke to fellow Spaniards and former
Liverpool players Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa before making his decision. He
said: “They all told me I can grow a lot here as a footballer as this is a
massive club. I hope to give my best and do all I can to help.”
Moreno
came through the ranks at Sevilla, playing 44 games last season as the club won
the Europa League. He was withdrawn from the team for last Tuesday’s 2-0 UEFA
Super Cup defeat by Real Madrid and said a tearful goodbye to the Sevilla
supporters, staff and team-mates after the final whistle in Cardiff.
The Spain
international, who has three caps, will now vie with compatriot Jose Enrique at
Anfield to become manager Brendan Rodgers’s first choice left-back.
After some
heavy expenditure on the likes of Lazar Markovic, Dejan Lovren and Adam
Lallana, the reported £12 million fee for Spain international full-back Moreno
is nothing short of a steal.
The Merseysiders also signed Belgium striker
Divock Origi from Lille for £10m, but have allowed the 19-year-old to return to
the Ligue 1 side on loan for a season.
Money aside, the move for Moreno is a fantastic bit of
business by the club that helps solve what has been a big problem area for the
side in recent seasons—full-back.
In Moreno, Liverpool have spent relatively
big, but they are paying for a young player who has already forced his way to
the verge of the Spanish national team, winning three caps so far, and has won
the Europa League.
Moreno displays many great attributes vital in a modern
attacking defender—and he still has a much higher ceiling for improvement.
There
is more to come than Moreno has already shown, but even his accomplishments to
date can compete favourably against that which the Reds have dealt with in the
same position over the past few seasons.
Key among Moreno’s traits is his great
pace and athleticism. He is a committed defender, though perhaps jumps into
tackles a little too rashly at present, and those who point to him being out of
position at times are merely acknowledging his former team were happy to see
him attack at will.
Moreno is calm and cool in possession and uses the ball
neatly but is always willing to race beyond the opposition back line on the
overlap, providing a through-ball chance toward the penalty area from where he
will look to provide a cutback or a shot on goal.
He completed more than one
successful dribble per game for Sevilla in La Liga, more than any of the Reds’
left-backs last term, and scored three goals—Jon Flanagan was the only one of
the Reds’ full-backs to score in league play in 2013-14.
Moreno can improve at both ends of the field, but his pace
will get him out of some defensive situations initially, and he’ll certainly
fit the tactical approach of the team. This is a purchase for the future, sure,
but it’s also one that improves the team immeasurably and immediately.
It’s not just the left of defence that has caused Liverpool
problems. Glen Johnson’s indifferent fitness and similar form leaves a lot to
be desired on the right, where the Reds have lacked competition or senior
options since Alvaro Arbeloa departed.
A succession of centre-backs have
operated on that side without success. With Moreno, at least, supporters can be
assured that at last, one side of the defence will finally have the quality and
capacity for improvement that it deserves.
The signing of Alberto Moreno is a
clear indication that the Reds are looking to improve the entire defensive
structure, both now and for the future.
Moreno was born in Seville on July 5, 1992 and took the fledgling steps of his professional
football career with Sevilla, a club renowned for providing regular
opportunities to young players and allowing natural talent to flourish in La
Liga.
Boasting laudable athleticism and blessed with blistering acceleration
over short and long distances, Alberto thrives on scampering forward along the
flank to support attacks with crosses or dangerous shots of his own in
opposition territory.
His maiden appearance for the Sevilla first team occurred
as a late substitute during a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao in April 2012,
though he would have to wait almost a year to genuinely break through at senior
level.
A first start for the Andalusian outfit followed 10 months on, with
Moreno clocking up the full 90 minutes in a win over Deportivo La Coruna.
It
was the start of his rise and a total of 15 games were tallied before the
2012-13 campaign concluded. The full-back’s international experience was
enhanced in the summer of 2013, playing four matches – including the final
against Fabio Borini’s Italy – as Spain cantered to the European U21
Championship title in Israel.
If that season was one of progression, the next
surpassed his most hopeful ambitions as he cemented a permanent berth in the
Sevilla starting line-up and contributed to an impressive fifth-place finish in
the Spanish top flight and European glory, after beating Benfica in penalties.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque had taken note and Alberto was named in his country’s provisional squad for the World Cup in Brazil, although he was later cut from the final selection before a dismal campaign for the reigning champions.
He therefore remained on three senior international caps, having made his debut at that level by playing the entirety of a qualifier against Georgia in October 2013 that was won 2-0.
Another man who had been tracking Moreno’s progression was Rodgers, who finally captured the left-back shortly ahead of the 2014-15 season kicking off, adding another highly talented player to develop in his burgeoning Liverpool squad.