Enric “Ricky” Valles

Squad Number, 20, Enric (Ricky) Vallès Prat is the full name of a star reserves player we have hidden away from the first team, barring a couple of ventures onto (and – gasp – occasionally off!) the bench!  There’s one name you won’t get on the old replica shirt back eh?  Whether you want his name on your shirt or not, I wanted to look at why he’s not really featured for us this season.

Ricky!
Ricky! Not a Prat?

He was a youth player with Barcelona, and signed a pre-contract agreement to join us at the tender age of – ahem – 20.

Nathan Redmond literally turned 18 in front of our eyes, at St. Andrew’s as we succumbed to the Chelsea revival wagon, yet Valles is still seen as ‘not quite ready’, despite now being 22!  His first mistake may have been signing to play ‘some attractive attacking football’ for Alex McLeish, but his definite second mistake was wanting to play football, with compatriot, Michel.  Ahem.

He had been looking to go out on loan – perhaps to Brighton – before we were relegated, but a stress fracture of the foot put paid to that, and – seemingly – his Birmingham City career, but before Alex McLeish decided to jump ship for some Conference team (no offence, Conference fans!) the Blues Board decided, in their infinite wisdom, to renew his contract, or “take up the option” or whatever it’s called.  This was peculiar until McLeish left, then I actually thought it would work to his -and our – advantage.  His attacking spirit actually seemed to be something we lacked under McLeish, and the advent of a new – Chris Hughton inspired – Birmingham City, seemed to suggest he would come in VERY handy indeed.  Every time he was moments away from the first team, he seemed to have an injury setback.  I wonder if this is the reason his stats appear to have stalled at a professional level.  At NAC Breda, of Holland, before he came to us he managed a total of 5 appearances in two years.  Still, credit to the lad, he seems to get stuck in for the second string when required.  He had an amazing pre-season for us, where he was widely acclaimed as the most exciting prospect we’ve had for years, yet he’s not had more than two appearances in the League Cup to shout about.

I thought about him again, when Fahey got injured, and Mutch got himself sent off for appearing to elbow Nimely of Coventry, who had already been warned for diving.  Coincidence?  Maybe!  Perhaps it’s time for Valles to step up to be counted.  Otherwise, why have we brought him in?  Why didn’t we release him, when his original contract was up?  What evidence IS there, though?

Well, he’s scored three goals in four reserve matches, including one against Walsall, in January, one of the three goals we scored against Shamrock Rovers at the beginning of February and the winner against Coventry at the end of Feb.  All from midfield.  He certainly gives us an option off the bench at very least.  If scoring three goals in reserves isn’t proof he can “cut it” in the first team, you have to wonder what the point of reserve matches is!

It’s no certainty that he’ll find his way into the first team, Butland – it has been universally agreed – could well find his way to International recognition in the future, yet hasn’t featured for the first team yet.  I wouldn’t have thought Valles would be happy to stay beyond this season though, if there’s not even the vaguest sign he could start for the first team.  With our Cup runs now totally over, the League is the only chance we’ve got to give him a chance.  I’d happily let him go, if he tries and fails in the League, that’s pressure he’ll just have to put up with, but if we don’t even give him a shot at it, and let him follow Michel into obscure Blues history, I think I’ll always wonder if we didn’t give him the opportunity we owed him, after bringing him to England in the first place.

We’ll let Alex McLeish have the last word on him, “”big, tall, lad, left-sided and maybe not the explosion of some wingers, but a very good footballer”.

Left sided is the key for me, a useful replacement for Townsend, though – to be fair – if Hughton thought he was a decent replacement for Beausejour, Townsend wouldn’t have arrived at Stans!

 

The Real Ricky, Enric Valles, courtesy of Wikipedia
The Real Ricky, Enric Valles, courtesy of Wikipedia

What do you think?  Is Enric more Ricky or Bianca?  You decide!

Discuss this post, and other items, in the Joys and Sorrows Forum.

Share
About Russ 77 Articles
Editor and Author for Joys and Sorrows
Contact: Website

2 Comments on Enric “Ricky” Valles

  1. Move on. Nothing to see here. Not being harsh, but since he arrived he’s either been semi-perma injured or deemed simply not good enough whenever he has actually been fit. Good luck to the boy, but I doubt he’ll have the longevity of an ice-cube trapped in a furnace for Blues much beyond this season.

  2. Anyone who adds to the dimensions of the squad, and is a player of quality, ok when he is playing, can only lift us above the ranks of the ordinary. Valles is a promise for the future, once we have him playing regularly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.