Maxi Gómez was coached by Juan Tejera during his time at Defensor Sporting Club, and  still remembers the Valencia CF striker with great fondness. The coach talked with VCF Media this week, praising Gómez for his continued conviction, hard work and hunger for goals.

What did you see in Maxi Gómez that convinced you about him?

"I remember he'd been playing in the Fourth and Third Division, and he had been recommended to us by his coach, Ricardo Meroni. He was 18 years old and we took him on trial in July of 2015. To begin with, he found our everyday training demanding, with a few small muscle injuries that are typical of an elite sportsman's growth, but he had a good physique and was a no.9 who played inside the box -something that we were lacking. He came into the first team alongside Gonzalo Carneiro, who is currently at Sâo Paulo FC, and he was up to the task, being decisive in the Copa Sudamericana. He exploded the next season."

What caught your eye the most about him?

"His personality. He'd shown it in a game against Lanús in the Copa Sudamericana in his first year. After a 0-0 draw in Argentina, we drew 0-0 at home, with the tie to be decided on penalties. We were deciding on the takers, and the captain -Fleurquín- came up to me and said that Maxi wanted to take one.

"I had several players in mind, such as Brian Lozano, Felipe Rodríguez, Andrés Scotti and Cardacio. Another player told me that he was 'tired', so I chose Maxi. I remember that the opposition missed their first kick, and when it came to Maxi, the last taker, there were murmurs around the Luis Franzini stadium. He showed a winning attitude, courage and personality to score a decisive penalty, which took us into the quarterfinals."

"He has a strong personality that is very typical of Uruguayan players. He's temperamental, within the rules, and he's a lot more intelligent with it now. That's led to him taking steps forward in his career."

In what way has he changed?

"The year after his debut he was already performing at a high level, and he's grown in many aspects. He has more experience, more calmness, and he's in control of his anxiety to improve. He's more skillful, he's in very good shape and he's all muscle. He's also more mature mentally. I've seen him play for Valencia CF and he's scored important goals, which is fundamental for a number 9 -beyond whether they play well or badly. It's a shame that he got injured, but I'm sure that when the competition resumes he'll have recovered and will be ready to give even more."

Do you think that he will be able to follow in the footsteps of Luis Suárez or Cavani, for example?

"He's on track to do that. Both Suárez and Cavani are not young anymore. Provided Maxi plays at the same level, his moment will  come. He's on course to be the successor to those two monstrous figures in football who make such a difference. We ask ourselves why such good players come from here, and why they are decisive in Europe, and it's an idiosyncracy that Uruguayans have; they never give in to adversity, never give up, always improve to get better. Maxi is applying that."

Do you consider him an example for young people to follow?

"He's an example, like many others are. We've seen some videos of the neighbourhood where he used to play in Paysandú. He's always been humble, dedicated and had a lot of hunger for success. He's always tryng to improve, to grow, to not make mistakes on or off the pitch... and that has led to him becoming an example to many young players who watch and admire him for what he's doing now at Valencia CF."