Last update 1 December, 2021 by Alberto Llopis
The Sports City of Paterna It is the home of Valencia CF, the headquarters where the Valencian club forges its future promises, the place where its quarry fights in a very equal fight for the hegemony of Valencian grassroots football with its city neighbor Levante and Comunidad, the Villarreal . But in recent years it has stood out for being an authentic factory to make left-handed sides. And it is that in recent seasons in that position, they have stood out in the elite and have even stepped on the Spanish team in several of their categories up to the absolute.
Paternal, the factory of making left-handed backs
The place where future Valencian talents are fired in addition to training the first team, does not stop creating players of the same profile. Pequeñitos, rapid. slick and offensive.
Jordi Alba
Everyone knows him for his career at Barça and the Spanish team. With both he has won titles but before, He passed through Paterna where he arrived at the Mestalla in 2007. Then he was in the first team since 2008 until 2012 when Barça signed him again after having had him a few years before at La Masia. Jordi Alba (1989) it was the first of this series.
He made his debut in Valencia's first team in 2009 after having been loaned in the Native of Tarragona and in 2012, was pierced by 18 million on the way to Barcelona just in a summer where it came out in the Eurocup that year, a fact that many Valencia fans wondered why a player of that level had come out for so little money, What they did not expect is that in a short space of time another high-level left-back would appear.
Juan Bernat
Bernat was born in Valencia a 1 March 1993 and he debuted with Valencia's first team as a left-handed winger but precisely because of the departure of Jordi Alba and the conversion of Mathieu to central, He was later transferred to the side where he was going to serve.
After two seasons not very flashy, the third was going to be the charm. Bernat was going to be one of the best Valencia players 2013/14, a fact that did not go unnoticed by a Bayern Munich led then by Pep Guardiola who took over his services for 11 million euros in the summer of 2014. Del Bosque also noticed him for his new selection. Bernat went to Bayern and he went to the millionaire PSG. But nothing happened, it was Gayá's turn.
José Luis Gayá
José Luis Gayá was born on 25 May 1995. Natural of Pebble, Alicante, his is a story of perseverance and sacrifice of those who surround him. His father took him to train Paterna from his hometown doing almost 300 km between roundtrip so that your child could play for Valencia. In the end, the effort returned the successes and Gayá became one of the best Spanish full-backs and an absolute international, sharing a position precisely with Alba.
Lato, another one from Paterna, the left-back factory
Antonio Latorre (Valencia, 1997) better known as Lato, It is another of the products that the Valencia quarry has given in that position. Although with less travel, level and recognition that 3 first at least for the moment, shares physical and game profile with Alba, Gayá and Bernat. His uncle Latorre, is one of the best players in the history of the Levant, the other team in town.
Centelles, one of the last to leave
Alex Centelles (Valencia, 1999) It is one of the last that has left the Paterna factory. Another left-handed side although with a physical and playing profile different from that of the others 4. He went free to Almería in 2020.
