Gerard Moreno: A strong mentality and a savvy style
Most players are lucky to have remarkable moments that are remembered for years after they originally occurred. Gerard Moreno, a younger player at the age of 26, has already had a few of these moments in his professional career, that continues to go from strength to strength. Born just outside of Barcelona in the town of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, the Spanish native started his football career close to home in the youth ranks of CF Badalona.
From a young age, Gerard had a very competitive nature and an impressive knack for scoring goals. His coach, Manolo González, shared in an article with El País that Gerard “did very atypical things for a kid of his age. And, above all, he had an incredible capacity to cope with adversity.” González credits Gerard’s head-strong nature to his parents, as the trait is a family norm. A European football player himself, Gerard’s father taught him at a young age that sacrifice was non-negotiable. Gerard always played with the same intensity in training sessions as he would in matches. According to his former teammate, David López, “If he can push you a little, he does; if you get distracted for a moment, he takes your position. Things you can only learn on the street.” The strong mentality and savvy style of play that characterized Gerard as an eight-year-old are still what define him today.
The first standout moment for Gerard Moreno as a Yellow was his unforgettable season with the Villarreal U19 (Juvenil A) team. The 2010/11 season, in general, was a historic one for Gerard. During this period of time, his unbelievable scoring ability began to shine on the field, opening the door for him to make his debut with the Villarreal B team that same season. Gerard’s flair for finishing led him to finish his first campaign with a total of 30 goals. Asa result, in the 2012/13 season, the left-footed striker was called up to the first team and was key in helping the Yellows regain First Division status.
The year after Gerard’s progression to the first team, he was loaned to Mallorca for the 2013/14 season where he scored 12 goals. In 2015, Gerard left Villarreal, signing for RCD Espanyol where he would continue his career for the next three seasons. During his time with Espanyol, Gerard managed to net 39 goals for the blue-and-whites. One of his most remarkable goals for RCD Espanyol was against no other than Real Madrid in the 2017/18 season. After ninety goalless minutes, both teams scrambled for shots on goal in the final moments of the game. As the match had been played at a very high tempo, everyone was tired but desperate to get a shot off. Instead of panicking, Gerard remained calm as he took the last shot of the game in the 92nd minute. After playing the ball out wide and sprinting into the box to get on the end of the cross, Gerard kept a cool head as the ball came right to him and he made no mistake by hitting a rocket of a half volley into the back of the net to bring home the victory for Espanyol.
“A hardworking and humble player who will adapt perfectly to the team.” — Fernando Roig, Villarreal CF President
After closing his chapter with Espanyol, Gerard Moreno returned to the Villarreal family on 12th June for the 2018/19 season, signing a five-year contract. The Yellows couldn’t have been happier to welcome Gerard back home. In the press conference , President Fernando Roig expressed his excitement about Gerard’s return, “We are very, very happy to have Gerard back with Villarreal, a hardworking and humble player who will adapt perfectly to the team.”
Living up to his reputation, the Catalan striker scored in his first game back with Villarreal on 18th August 2018 against Real Sociedad. He lived up to expectations with goals in games against Rangers, Real Betis and Alavés to name but a few after returning to the Yellow Submarine. No team that faces the Yellows will enjoy coming up against Moreno, who is already a key player once more for Villarreal. And long may it continue!
Make sure you select English subtitles in the video above to see what Gerard had to say in his official presentation!
