Manu García, the 'prodigal leader' of a Sporting in direct ascent

Last season Manu García became the most expensive signing in Sporting history. The prodigal son, who had left for England when he was barely fifteen, was returning to Mareo to lead a new attempt to promote the sportinguista team to First. Although he did not exploit his full potential in the first season with irregular performances, at the start of this 2020-21 he begins to show his potential and the team notices it.

Rare is the match in which he does not leave a flash that shows his quality, either in an assist, a dribble or, as in the last match against Ponferradina, with a goal. With a handling of the ball within the reach of very few and a good vision to give the last pass to the forwards, Manu García, at only 22 years old, is called to be the leader of a Sporting placed in direct promotion after eight days, which dreams of a return to the top flight.

Despite his youth, the Oviedo player has played in four European countries: England, the Netherlands, France and Spain. At just 16 years old, he was a member of the Gijón cadet when Manchester City noticed him and enrolled him in their quarry. On October 28, 2015 Manu García made his debut as a scorer with Manchester City; It was a match for the English Capital One, against Crystal Palace. The young player recognized after the game his excitement for his first goal at City.

It was his second game with the team, which Pellegrini was coaching at the time, and in six minutes (he came out in the 88th minute) he had time to prove himself and score the team's fifth goal. In that game he coincided on the field with the incombustible Jesús Navas. However, in the Manchester team he did not have the continuity he expected and began a journey of transfers.

In the summer market he ended up in Alavés, a team in which he barely played 30 minutes in the Copa del Rey, a situation that took him in the winter market to play on loan at NAC Breda, of the Second Division of the Netherlands, with which he got promotion to the Eridivisse. This success allowed him to continue in the team for another year.

In those two seasons he played 58 games, gave 11 assists and scored three goals. Some numbers that did not allow him to throw the door of the first team of City, already trained by Guardiola, and that led him to a new assignment this time to French Toulouse. The balance in the French league was 34 games played, 4 assists and one goal.

After passing through France, the return to Manchester was not as expected and, as the player himself said, after a talk with Guardiola, they decided it was time to change of scene. After analyzing with the Spanish coach if he would go on loan or transfer again in the summer of 2019, Manu García decided to return home, He signed for Sporting. He became the most expensive signing of the Asturian club

Five seasons later he returned to Gijón, to lead a sports project that would return to the First Division and would be able to fulfill the dream of any Mareo youth squad: debut with the first team at El Molinón-Quini. Without a doubt, the return of Manu García delighted the fans and he, despite his youth, accepted the challenge. In the 40 games he played last season as a rojiblanco, he added eight assists and three goals.

So far this season he has a goal and an assist but, regardless of the numbers, Manu García is called to be the leader of the historic Sporting with an obsession: to return to First.