Sancet: “Marcelino demands of me and I like him, I want him to do it”

He suffered an injury to the internal compartment of his right knee against Celta after an internal trauma in Vigo. How are you?

In the Celta game I suffered a blow to my right knee, my ligament swelled a little, I had an edema, but nothing, a small blow that I hope will recover in a few days and can return to normal.

Will you be ready to face Mallorca in San Mamés?

We are going to see how the blow is going, how my knee is responding and I hope so, that everything goes well and I can join as soon as possible.

A shame to have to abandon the concentration of the Under-21 team with what it costs to reach this goal …

Yes, of course, I was looking forward to being able to play two qualifying matches for the Eurocup, but the first thing is to be well, to be at the top. The National Team doctor already told me that it was better to recover here in Bilbao and we did.

Can you see yourself in the U21 Euro Cup?

It is the objective we have, I hope I can play the European and I will work in my club as much as possible to return to the National Team.

He has ended up convincing Luis de la Fuente.

I have known Luis for a long time and many times he has given me his confidence, he is a very good uncle, I have a very good relationship with him and I hope he can call me up again and win my place in the U21

Also, Agirrezabala, Vencedor, Nico Williams with La Rojita, not bad for the Lezama quarry?

Yes, it has always been said that Athletic has one of the youth teams at the spectacular level of Spain and here it shows with four U-21 players, that it is not easy, that this youth academy works.

And in the U-19, Nico Serrano and goalkeeper Padilla.

Exactly, one more sample of the size of this quarry in Lezama.

Do you remember your injury in Tanos against the cruciate ligament gymnastics that prevented you from taking off before heading to the First Division since Berizzo was counting on you?

Of course I remember. It was a serious injury, I recovered it well, with good feelings and that is more than forgotten. I was back to play in less than seven months, but of course, an injury like that slows you down. Everything you've done so far changes and it's not easy. Yes it is true that it cost me a bit because of the physical issue, but we had to move on.

Gaizka Garitano gave him the alternative.

Yes, I went up to the first team with him.

What differences do you see between what Garitano asked of him and what Marcelino demands of him now?

In the end it is a bit similar. Gaizka played a 4-2-3-1, Marcelino a 4-4-2, but in the end you are a forward who hangs down, a midfielder and as much as the system is different, what the coaches ask of you is to perform.

Marcelino García Toral puts a lot of cane into him because he senses many possibilities in Sancet.

As it should be, demand the players. I like it, if they demand of you it is because they believe you can give it, which motivates me, I like it and I want them to continue doing it.

Do you notice the pressure caused by the expectations that you agglutinate since you already shone in lower categories?

You put the pressure on yourself, you don't have to pay attention to the pressure that people put on you. You know what you can give, you know what you are, how you are in football. You have to put the pressure on yourself and ignore others.

And Sancet is imposed a lot?

I put the pressure on myself that I think I have to put on myself, I demand of myself what I think I can give and if I see that I can give more I will demand it myself.

During his vacations in Ibiza and in Pamplona he has put the batteries with personalized workouts to strengthen himself muscularly.

Yes Yes of course. You had to take advantage of the summer to train, to get into the preseason fit, and give the coach a reason to want you in the team.

Acting as a second striker, even if he falls off the hook, is it difficult to adapt?

At the beginning of course it was difficult, it was a new position for me and at the beginning it is difficult, but little by little I am feeling better, I am more comfortable and wanting to continue playing in the position that the coach gives me.

Would you like Marcelino to propose you to act further back, as an attacking midfielder?

Well, the point has come that what you want is to play, it doesn't matter where. If the coach places you in any position you have to do it well and that's it. If it slows me down and puts me in the middle, I'll try to do just as well.

A good example can be the versatile Marcos Llorente …

Exactly, the more positions you can play the better, the more options to be a starter in the team.

With Iñaki Williams a great friendship joins him off the field and inside they understand each other. In fact, he praises him when they ask him about Sancet, calling him a great passer.

With Iñaki he is a person with whom I have a lot of feeling, we get along very well both on and off the field and that carries over to the game. I feel comfortable with him.

What does it mean to remove a whole Raúl García from ownership with everything he represents in these first three league games?

Well, it doesn't mean anything, in the end we are teammates, everyone wants to play. I have a good relationship with him, he helps me, I help him, the important thing is the good for the team.

What Sancet has improved the most this season is the clash, in building with the opponents and coming out with flying colors.

If it can be. You realize that professional football is tough, there are crashes and you have to win the duels, it is the most important thing. By gaining maturity in the First Division, you improve in those physical duels.

Is the goal your unfinished business in the First Division when you scored regularly in the lower ranks?

Yes, it is something that I have in mind. I try to train him to be better facing the goal and to be able to score goals.

Does the goal get smaller in the elite?

Man, the categories are also divided for that reason, if it were just as easy to mark in some than in others there would be no categories. In the First Division it is true that it is more difficult, the goalkeepers have a higher level, the defenders will arrive earlier and therefore it is noticeable.

At your 20, on a personal level, what can be your ceiling?

I honestly don't put a roof on myself, I work every day to improve and be my best and putting a roof on you would be a mistake. You never know what your ceiling is and that's where I'm working, working to get as high as possible.

At the choral level, two wins and a draw at the start of the League. The thing rolls at the moment.

We have started very well, the results and how the team competes. We are in a very good dynamic and we have to continue like this. With this mentality and demanding ourselves we can do great things.

Perhaps the most difficult thing is to motivate yourself as against Barça with other minor rivals …

That is the objective, to play each game at the highest level, not because Barça is playing better.

What among a 30% capacity of members in San Mamés is motivating more?

Yes, it is appreciated, it is an extra motivation to play in front of your people, and let's see if we have full capacity soon.

His generation of 2000 of Athletic promises with the Artola, Cabo, Imanol García de Albéniz, Álvaro Núñez or Urain who also point to the First Division.

Of course they can go up. It is a generation with magnificent footballers, of a high level, I have played with them and I know it and at any moment they can take the leap and see us again as teammates.