Guti was born José María Gutiérrez Hernández in Torrejón de Ardoz, just outside of Madrid, on the 31st of October 1976, Despite growing up as a Barcelona fan he joined Madrid’s youth system aged 10, and played for every level within Madrid’s youth structure and was highly rated by each coach that trained him at the club before, in 1995 at the tender age of 19, he was handed his debut by Valdano after impressing with the under-19s and the Castilla squad. It took time for Guti to settle within the first-team setup at the Bernabéu and it was only under John Toshack, in 1999, that he began to really leave a mark. It was his versatility that gave him more options to enter the starting line-up, although he played primarily on the left of a midfield diamond. In 2000/01, under Vicente del Bosque, he became a striker to replace the injured Fernando Morientes and that was the season that he established himself as a first-team player for Madrid and became a recognised name in European football.
There is some disagreement as to when he was at his peak. Some argue it was the 2000/01 season under Vicente del Bosque, while others point to 2002/03 when Madrid won La Liga and Guti hit double figures in both goals and assists. Some even say his best football came in the latter part of his career, after he had turned 30 when in the second half of 2006/07 under Fabio Capello and in the entirety of 2007/08 season under Bernd Schuster we saw the best of Guti. He was a unique player in all of world football and saw things on the pitch that nobody else saw. However his talent and status as a Madrid star didn’t translate to his international career, with the playmaker earning just 13 caps for his country. He played various roles during his career, a midfielder at youth level, he briefly became a forward, netting an impressive 18 goals in 2000-01, before eventually switching back to midfield, partly in order to accommodate the striking talents of Ronaldo, Raúl and others. Other times he played as a defensive midfielder, which he could do as well, as this incredibly talented player could plug all sorts of holes and never complained about being on the bench. That perhaps impacted his role with the national team because he never had a defined position. In that regard, he was also unlucky because it was the time of Xavi and Iniesta, a time where Spain was loaded with talented midfielders. Another reason was down to his off-field controversies as he was known to enjoy a late night out in the clubs of Madrid and often had disputes with his managers about his commitment and work ethic. One of the most widely circulated stories about his less-than-impeccable attitude took place during Fabio Capello’s second spell as Madrid boss. Capello, so the story goes, had instructed his players to wait in the centre circle at the start of the training session. Wanting to see whether the squad would follow orders, Capello turned up 15 minutes late…on purpose. When he arrived, he found one player, Guti, sheltering from the Spanish sun in a dugout. Guti was often labelled inconsistent, with nobody sure which Guti would arrive come match day. It was all of these factors that led to his disappointing international career.
His natural talent was unrivalled but laziness and the allure of a celebrity lifestyle got in the way. Former Real Madrid players Steve McManaman and Michael Owen agreed that Guti was the 'vainest' player they had ever played with. "He had a mirror right next to his space in the dressing room." Owen said. He split opinions; many feel him to be one of the most breathtakingly talented players to grace the game, while those at the other end of the spectrum see him as one of the most overrated players in football history, with poor outings far more common than fleeting moments of brilliance. To this day supporters of Real Madrid still argue both sides of the Guti debate. No player has ever ignited such a difference of opinion. He signed for Beşiktaş in the summer of 2010, leaving Madrid after 25 years at the club where he had managed to live through a decade that saw more talent brought to the club than had ever been done at any other club in the entirety of footballing history, and he outlasted them all. He won five La Liga titles with Madrid, four Spanish Super Cups, three Champions Leagues, two Intercontinental Cups and one European Super Cup. On an individual level, he was top-scorer in the 2001/02 Copa del Rey campaign and top assister in La Liga for 2007/08. His legacy at the club is perhaps best surmised by Álvarez, "Guti was a great player for Real Madrid, but he could have been a legend," he said. "He could have been one of the top five players ever."
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/04/footballs-nearly-men-adrian-doherty.html
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