Suso (footballer)

1. Early Life and Youth Career

Suso's formative years in football began in his hometown of Cádiz, Spain, where he developed his foundational skills.

### Early Life and Background ###
Jesús Joaquín Fernández Sáenz de la Torre was born on 19 November 1993 in Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain. His early talent was evident when, at just 15 years old, he stood out as the best player in a pre-season friendly match in 2009.

### Youth Career ###
Suso started his football journey in 2004, joining the youth academy of Cádiz CF. His performances there quickly drew attention from major European clubs. In 2010, at the age of 16, Suso signed with the Liverpool Academy, despite receiving invitations from Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. He later explained his decision to join Liverpool, stating that a phone call from then-Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez convinced him that Liverpool was the right club for his development. His coach at Cádiz, Quique González, described him as "a boy with great quality, a good shot - excellent tactical vision and passing ability."

Suso initially joined Liverpool on loan until he was old enough to obtain a professional playing permit. On 19 November 2010, his 17th birthday, he officially signed his first professional contract with the club.

2. Club Career

Suso's professional club journey began at Liverpool, progressing through various loan spells and transfers, leaving a significant mark at each club he played for.

### Liverpool ###
Prior to his senior debut, Suso made his first appearance for the Liverpool senior team in a pre-season friendly against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 1 August 2010. He also played in Jamie Carragher's testimonial match on 4 September 2010. For competitive fixtures, he was initially placed in the reserves. During the 2010-11 season, he made 17 appearances for the reserve side, scoring three goals. The following season, he netted five goals in 17 games and made seven appearances in the NextGen Series.

On 20 September 2012, Suso made his official senior debut for Liverpool in a UEFA Europa League match against Young Boys, playing the full 90 minutes. His performance earned high praise from manager Brendan Rodgers. Three days later, he made his Premier League debut against Manchester United at Anfield, coming on as a substitute for the injured Fabio Borini at half-time. Despite Liverpool being a man down, Suso impressed by completing all his passes. He then featured in the subsequent League Cup match against West Bromwich Albion, where he came on late in the game and immediately contributed by helping to set up Nuri Şahin's second goal in a 2-1 victory. His first Premier League start came on 29 September in a 5-2 away win over Norwich City, during which he assisted Luis Suárez's third goal.

On 19 October 2012, Suso signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool, with Brendan Rodgers commending his "maturity and commitment." However, on 18 December 2012, Suso was fined 10.00 K GBP by The Football Association (FA) for a remark made to teammate and compatriot José Enrique on Twitter, which the FA deemed homophobic. José Enrique defended Suso, stating that the remark was "banter" and "just a joke."

On 25 February 2013, after falling out of the first team due to the arrivals of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, Suso delivered a disappointing performance for the under-21 team against Manchester United. He later acknowledged his poor play on Twitter, citing stomach problems during the match. The game concluded in a 1-0 defeat for Liverpool, despite the presence of strong players like Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom, and Jonjo Shelvey in their U21 lineup.

2.1. Almería (loan)

On 12 July 2013, Suso joined La Liga side Almería on a season-long loan deal. He made his debut for the Andalusians on 19 August, assisting Rodri's goal in a 2-3 home loss against Villarreal. In the following match, he again assisted Rodri in a 2-2 away draw against Getafe.

On 21 September, Suso scored his first top-flight goal in a 2-2 home draw against Levante. On 30 October, he contributed to his side ending a five-game losing streak by assisting Marco Torsiglieri in a 2-1 away victory over Valencia. On 2 November, Suso provided a cross that led to Rodri's decisive, though controversial, goal in a home win against Real Valladolid. Later that month, Suso scored his second goal for Almería in a 3-1 away loss against Celta de Vigo. During this period, he was also fined for missing training due to oversleeping. Suso was subsequently benched for several matches, only returning to the starting lineup on 26 January of the following year, assisting Jonathan Zongo's goal in a 1-0 win against Getafe.

2.4. Return to Milan and Success

Upon his return to AC Milan for the 2016-17 season, Suso began to receive more playing time under new manager Vincenzo Montella, who showed greater confidence in his abilities than his predecessor. After impressing during the pre-season and in the initial matches of the 2016-17 Serie A campaign, Suso was expected to play a crucial role for the team. He scored his first league goal for Milan in the second matchday of the 2016-17 Serie A season against Napoli, an equalizer in an eventual 2-4 defeat.

On 16 September 2016, he assisted Carlos Bacca's goal in a 1-0 win against Sampdoria. He also set up Manuel Locatelli's goal against Juventus on 22 October, helping Milan secure a significant victory. Suso contributed to Milan's 2-1 win against Palermo on 6 November by scoring the first goal and assisting the second. The following week, he scored his first brace (two goals in a single match) in a 2-2 draw against city rivals Inter Milan at San Siro. In the subsequent match, Suso played a pivotal role in Milan's 4-1 triumph over Empoli, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

On 23 December 2016, Suso assisted Giacomo Bonaventura's equalizing goal in the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana against Juventus. He later successfully converted his penalty in the ensuing shootout, leading Milan to a 4-3 victory and securing a trophy for the club. Suso concluded the 2016-17 season with seven goals and nine assists, making him Milan's highest assist maker.

Suso continued his strong form into the 2017-18 Serie A season. In the season opener against Crotone, he assisted Patrick Cutrone's goal before scoring one himself in a dominant 3-0 away win. On 14 September, he scored his first European goal for Milan with a long-range effort against FK Austria Wien. On 25 September 2017, Suso signed a contract extension that committed him to AC Milan until 2022. His final goal for AC Milan was scored from a direct free-kick in a home match against Spal.

### Sevilla ###
On 29 January 2020, Suso joined Sevilla on an 18-month loan deal, which included an obligatory purchase clause. He made his debut for the club on 2 February 2020, coming on as a substitute in a home La Liga draw against Alavés. On 16 February 2020, he assisted his former AC Milan teammate Lucas Ocampos's goal and subsequently scored his debut goal for Sevilla, assisted by Ocampos, in a 2-2 league draw against Espanyol.

On 20 July 2020, Sevilla announced that they had exercised their purchase option for Suso, signing him on a permanent five-year contract for 24.00 M EUR. On 16 August 2020, Suso scored in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the semi-final of the UEFA Europa League. He then featured in the final of the competition, which Sevilla won 3-2 against Inter Milan, securing the trophy. Suso also contributed to Sevilla's victory in the 2022-23 UEFA Europa League, marking another significant achievement with the club. In 2023, he was part of the Sevilla squad that won the 2023 UEFA-CONMEBOL Club Challenge.

3. International Career

Suso has represented Spain at various youth levels and has progressed to the senior national team, showcasing his talent on the international stage.

### Youth National Teams ###
Suso represented Spain at the U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-21 levels. In 2012, he was a key player for the Spain under-19 national team, starting every game during the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. His contributions helped Spain win the tournament, marking his first international honour. He was also named to the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament. On 9 October 2012, Suso received his first call-up to the Spain U21 team for their match against Italy. He later captained the Spain under-20 side that competed in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

### Senior National Team ###
In August 2017, Suso received his first call-up to the Spain senior national football team for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Italy scheduled for the following month. This call-up came from Julen Lopetegui, who had previously managed Suso at the under-20 and under-21 levels. Suso finally made his senior international debut for Spain in a friendly match against Russia on 14 November 2017. He has since continued to make appearances for the national team.

4. Style of Play

Suso is recognized as a quick, creative, and technically gifted left-footed player. He is versatile and capable of playing in various attacking and midfield roles, including as an attacking midfielder or winger, and has also been deployed as a central midfielder and in the mezzala role.

He is particularly known for his exceptional ability to beat opponents on the ball, his keen vision, and his precise passing accuracy. These attributes allow him to dictate the tempo of his team's play, engage in quick exchanges with other midfielders, and consistently provide assists for his teammates. Additionally, Suso possesses a powerful shot from outside the penalty area and demonstrates accuracy from set pieces.

Former Milan midfielder Dejan Savićević drew comparisons between Suso's style and his own, remarking, "He's like me, he's also got a great shot. He's a player who can invent an assist, invent a shot. He can invent from one moment to the next, he's the one who most possesses that quality." Suso is often cited as a classic example of an inverted winger. During his time at AC Milan, he perfected his signature move of cutting into the opponent's penalty box from the right flank to unleash shots with his stronger left foot. This distinct technique and his frequent goals from this position have led to several comparisons between Suso and the Dutch forward Arjen Robben, who is credited with popularizing this exact approach among many younger wingers of the 2010s.

5. Career Statistics

### Club ###

### International ###

6. Honours

Suso has achieved several team titles and individual accolades throughout his career.

AC Milan

• Supercoppa Italiana: 2016

Sevilla

• UEFA Europa League: 2019-20, 2022-23
• UEFA-CONMEBOL Club Challenge: 2023