Hungry and humble, Isaac Romero charms his way to the front at Sevilla | Sid Lowe

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In December 2023, the day prior to a match, the coach of a team in the fourth division of Spain gathers the team together. He reminds them of the plan – the bus will depart at 6am for an 11:30am game 230km away, picking up players along the way – and shows them a video. The video shows all the goals scored by the opposing team’s striker: 11 goals in 13 games. The center-back watching realizes that none of these goals were easy tap-ins. In fact, Isaac Romero, the forward for Sevilla B seen in the video, created all of the goals himself. The defender reflects, “It was unbelievable, absolutely unreal. You could see that he deserved a spot in the first team, and that’s exactly what happened. He’s on fire.”

Although it may seem simple, it was actually quite challenging. Isaac never expected this level of success. In the beginning, he only played in front of a few hundred spectators and did not score. But as he continued to play, the number of fans grew exponentially. During one game, he successfully scored a goal in front of a crowd of 12,581 people. The next game, the number increased to 13,092. And a week later, he made a spectacular goal that caused 36,640 people to cheer wildly. Even on Saturday, when he left the field exhausted after playing for 85 minutes and giving his all against Real Sociedad, the Sánchez Pizjuán stadium erupted in applause and chanted the name of their new and unexpected hero.

The situation has changed for him and them. In December, Isaac played his second-to-last game for Sevilla Atlético, the B team of the club. Just two days earlier, the first team had lost to Mallorca, marking their ninth consecutive game without a victory. A week later, they suffered another defeat, this time 3-0 against Getafe, and dropped to 17th place on the standings, tied in points with the 18th place team. Isaac’s final match for Sevilla Atlético was in January against El Palo. Only five days later, he made his debut with the first team against Alavés, and followed it up immediately with two goals in the cup against Getafe, one against Girona, a impressive goal during his home debut against Osasuna, and the game-winning goal against Atlético Madrid. Although he still couldn’t play a full 90 minutes, he had a remarkable record of five goals and one assist in his first seven games.

This past Saturday, he assisted in Sevilla’s victory over Real Sociedad, securing their survival by pulling seven points ahead of the bottom three. Despite previously only winning one game out of ten, the team has now only lost once in the last six games, with their only loss being against Real Madrid where Isaac’s potential winning volley was impressively saved by Andriy Lunin. According to Diario de Sevilla, the player who most of the team hadn’t heard of a month ago is now considered the “heart” of the team. He stands out as a natural finisher, with a raw and authentic playing style, and cites Diego Costa as his idol. He fearlessly tackles opponents and tirelessly chases every ball, giving his all until he can give no more. His coach, Quique Sánchez Flores, sees him as an exemplary player who has transformed the entire team, inspiring them to follow in his footsteps.

Reworded: It has not been an easy or straightforward journey. This is not a typical case of a young player making a big impact in the first team, mainly because Isaac is not a young player. He is the son of a footballer and a World Cup winner, 23 years old, and too skilled for the Segunda B league.

No one could have predicted this, not even Isaac. If Isaac had gotten what he wanted, he would likely be playing in a lower division this summer. However, due to issues with paperwork and the club’s inability to find a suitable forward, he is now playing in the fourth division. This situation highlights the power of perseverance but also the impact of luck, both positive and negative, and the resilience of the sport of football.

Romero was born in Lebrija, a town with a population of 27,432, situated 60km (37 miles) south of Seville. His grandparents relocated there in the late 1970s when the nearby marshes were drained to make way for farming. He still resides in Lebrija, where his father, Antonio, played for Atlético Sanluqueño and reached the second division with Xerez. His father now works as a kit man for local team Atlético Antoniano, while his mother, Macarena, runs a bar at the club. Isaac also played for Atlético Antoniano, helping them to secure promotion from the regional Andaluza league to Spain’s tercera division. In the current season, he faced his former team in Segunda B, but unfortunately lost 2-0 and did not score. However, he has since scored goals against Girona and Atlético and has even played at the Bernabéu.

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When he helped Antoniano up, Isaac had already traveled to Sevilla and Cádiz and returned. He had joined Sevilla at a young age, but left when they changed to 11-a-side. He spent 18 months at Cádiz, but it didn’t work out because it was too far from home. At 19, he returned to play for Antoniano. His coach, Francisco José Cordero, who had watched him grow and change positions to centre-forward, believed he could succeed and contacted Sevilla. Carlos Marchena, the assistant coach at Sevilla Atlético, didn’t just observe Isaac’s skills, but also went as far as to play against him. Despite being 39 years old and recently retired, Marchena’s love for football motivated him to join in and challenge Isaac during the training sessions. By the end, he also believed in Isaac’s potential.

Isaac, who came from amateur football at 19 years old, was initially delayed in his arrival. However, there was something unique about his development. In 2018, he started with Sevilla C and eventually progressed to the B team, but faced setbacks with shoulder problems and a broken leg. Time passed, and this summer he joined the first team for preseason. However, manager José Luis Mendilibar wanted a proven and professional player, so Isaac was not able to play on occasion. At 23 years old, the rules stated that if he joined the first team, it had to be permanent since he was too old to maintain his B team registration while also playing for the first team. As a result, Sevilla instead signed Mariano Díaz. Due to there being no available spots on the team, Isaac was unable to secure a spot.

Isaac was close to permanently leaving – the second division team Albacete was interested in signing him – but Sevilla’s sporting director, Victor Orta, convinced him and his father to stay by emphasizing the importance of patience. Despite the fact that Flores had publicly expressed his lack of confidence in strikers Mariano and Rafa Mir, who only had five league starts and two goals combined, and the departure of Fernando opened up a spot for another player, Isaac was not initially seen as a potential option.

Fortune played a role in this situation. Robert Bozenik was unable to make the move to Boavista even though he had already completed a medical checkup. The attempt to get David Datro Fofana, which seemed to be finalized, also fell through because Chelsea had reached their limit for foreign loans. These were not the only deals that were unsuccessful. Mir and Mariano were present but not playing a significant role – as Flores stated, “either you reach the level or you don’t play” and he believed that people had different interpretations of demands. Youssef En-Nesyri was absent due to the Africa Cup of Nations, Lucas Ocampos had to step in as a false 9, and the team was facing a crisis. Finally, after 26 minutes into the game against Alavés, the team experienced an explosion of success.

A recently discovered idol had emerged, though he had been present all along.

“We haven’t discovered anyone; we saw the kids in training and we chose, that’s all,” Flores says. “I like Isaac because he does everything you ask of him. He fills us with energy. We’re so lucky he is with us and he’s so humble that it makes him even greater. He’s a lesson in humility for the entire group. It makes you emotional to see young people there. We were young once. The coach opens a door, but they’re the ones that do things; they’re wonderful.”

According to former manager Joaquín Caparrós, Isaac has brought a hunger to Sevilla and it has spread throughout the team. Diego Simeone believes he possesses all the qualities a coach desires, and even Spain’s manager Luis de la Fuente is a fan of his. Isaac, from Lebrija, has made life comfortable for everyone at the club, and his partnership with En-Nesyri has flourished since En-Nesyri’s return from Afcon. One headline perfectly captures their contribution: “Sevilla has an impressive duo of forwards!”

Isaac is not only a talented player, but also a supportive teammate and kind person. Óliver Torres praises him for his humility and dedication, stating that those qualities often lead to success. Isaac has been patient for his chance to shine and is currently contributing to the team’s success. Hopefully, he will continue to do so for a long time. The team is always ready to celebrate with him whenever he scores. He is certainly a valuable addition to the team.

Well, nearly everyone. In December, certain protectors were already aware – they had spotted Isaac Romero on their computer screens.

Source: theguardian.com