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Gabri Veiga, tipped to be the next young star of Spanish football, has a long list of skills and abilities, but if one thing sticks out about this supremely confident 21-year-old then it’s his ability to strike a ball. The secret to his ball-striking abilities, however, may surprise you. “I began playing football because of pumpkins,” he has explained. Playing at his uncle’s house when he was a toddler, he discovered a pumpkin on the kitchen floor and started to kick it “out of curiosity”. From then on, all he wanted to do was kick balls and he joined his first football club aged four. Later, as a 12-year-old, he was enrolled in the famed A Madroa academy of local Galician club RC Celta and now, in 2022/23, the attacking midfielder has emerged as one of the team’s key players, working up a profitable partnership with Iago Aspas, the team’s most senior and exceptional player and another who also came through the club’s academy many years ago. Fast forward to this term and Veiga scored the two crucial goals on the final day of the season to see Celta Vigo beat champions Barcelona and secure their top-flight status. That could yet turn out to be his last action at Balaidos, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United all being heavily linked with a move and the talented attacker sitting high on their list of priorities for this summer’s transfers. Veiga’s release clause is set at €40million (£34.4m) - though it’s perhaps worth noting that Celta have only sold one player for more than €15m since Nolito left for Man City in 2016. Eleven goals - top ten among Europe’s U21 players Between them, Aspas and Viega were responsible for scoring 23 of RC Celta’s 43 LaLiga Santander goals in 2022/23 and the veteran striker has done his part in making the youngster feel comfortable, personally setting up two of the midfielder’s 11 goals. Veiga’s goal count this campaign, his first full season in the first team, is nothing short of stunning. Nobody scored more goals from midfield in LaLiga this season. In his age category, Veiga is truly standing out. Of all the Under-21 players in Europe’s top five leagues, Veiga finished with the seventh-highest goal tally, only trailing the likes of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Also, he is the Under-21 player with the second-most goals produced in LaLiga 22/23 (11 goals and four assists), only one behind Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson (12 and four). Veiga is about much more than his goals, however. He has proved his versatility throughout his youth career, playing in every position aside from goalkeeper, centre-back and left-back. It is perhaps that rich variety of experience which has seen him to develop into the player he is today: a midfielder with remarkable vision and ability to make the final pass, with the courage and pace to take players on and the timing to run in behind defences and latch on to through balls. “In my career I’ve only seen one or two players who have the characteristics of Veiga,” said RC Celta coach Carlos Carvalhal, who has been in management for 25 years. “He is a very complete player. He has a different profile to all the other midfielders in Spain, who are usually about touch and possession. Gabri breaks games open.” A player who can score different types of goals As Carvalhal alluded to, Veiga’s qualities make him the ideal link between midfield and attack and his 11 goals this season showcased his various attributes. The two most eye-catching goals were his long-range rockets against Real Betis and UD Almería, with the former being his first goal in front of the home fans at Balaídos, when he rounded three defenders before pinging the ball into the far bottom corner, while the latter goal was a thumping drive from outside the area with hardly any back-lift, which cannoned in off the crossbar. His first goal had come against Atlético de Madrid, a first-time finish which crept in at the near post, while he produced an ice-cool shot to score against Sevilla FC after racing on to a through ball from Aspas. His best individual display yet, however, came in the thrilling 4-3 win at Real Betis earlier this month. He scored RC Celta’s second goal with a cheeky lob right in front of goalkeeper Rui Silva after creating the danger himself with two clever headers. He then gave his side the lead by appearing at just the right time to knock in Jorgen Strand Larsen’s cross from the byline. What next for Veiga? He was believed to be under consideration by Luis Enrique as a potentially surprise call-up for the World Cup and, even if he didn’t go to Qatar, his debut for Spain’s senior team cannot be far away. He is in the U21 squad for this month’s fixture against Mexico. An international debut is bound to further raise Veiga’s profile and confirm what everyone at RC Celta already knows: that he has what it takes to make it to the very top. Read More Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game

Kyle Walker feels Manchester City owe it to club owner Sheikh Mansour to win the Champions League. City are eyeing up European club football’s top prize once again after years of near misses in their quest to land the trophy for the first time. Losing to Chelsea in the final two years ago is the closest they have come, but Wednesday brings another opportunity to reach the showpiece fixture as they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final. The tie is delicately poised after a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital last week. City have won the Premier League six times since the sheikh bought the club in 2008 – and are on the brink of a seventh domestic title – but the Champions League has long been viewed as their ‘holy grail’. Right-back Walker said: “The club is missing that one and, (with) the owners and the amount of money they have pumped into this club and the investment they have done, we owe that to them. “To get to the Champions League final against Chelsea and not perform as well as we can, we owe that to ourselves and get some revenge for ourselves because we know that was below par on that day. “But we have a tough opponent to get past to get to the Champions League final. It’s a ‘final’, anything can happen. The first thing is getting past Real Madrid and then let’s see about the final.” City dominated the first leg at the Bernabeu in terms of possession, but Real were incisive on the counter-attack and created more clear-cut opportunities. Walker was involved in a tough battle with the pacey Vinicius Junior, who scored Real’s goal, and the City defender is relishing another encounter with the Brazilian. The pair embraced in a sign of respect after last week’s meeting, but Walker has revealed there was also extra significance in the gesture. He said: “I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me, so it was kind of like, ‘Please don’t try that again – I don’t want to be a meme’. “But boxers fight, have a good battle, and then they shake hands after, and that is the level of respect I do have for him. I will give him the respect he deserves (after the final whistle), but before then it is dog eat dog Kyle Walker on Vinicius Junior “It’s the same with any other player, when it is a good game, you go and give them that level of respect because they deserve it. “I will give him the respect he deserves (after the final whistle), but before then it is dog eat dog. “It is a personal battle where you are coming up against one of the best players in the world. “I have faced many over the years who have been just as good as him, but I think he is in the best form of his life, so whoever is picked to play in that position to defend against him it is going to be a great battle.” It could be a memorable week for City, who will also retain the Premier League title if they beat Chelsea on Sunday. Walker said: “I think it is big to everyone in that dressing room. We know the goals at the end of it – it is a massive week for the club.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun’s switch from England to USA approved by FIFA Forest fined over pitch invasion after 2022 play-off semi against Sheff Utd England agonised over dropping Ben Foakes for Jonny Bairstow – Rob Key

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