Rubén Sobrino will be reunited with a close friend on Wednesday night at Las Gaunas, as Valencia CF take on UD Logroñés in the Copa del Rey. Andy, currently on the roster of the Segunda B club, is someone who Soriano considers to be like family, and the pair are understandably excited to be sharing a pitch in the cup competition.
The two met when part of the Real Madrid youth system, and would go on to play together at SD Ponferradina in the 2014/15 season, competing in the Segunda División.
"We spent the entire day together. We would eat, have dinner, go for a walk and play videogames with one another, and at the end of the season we even went on holiday to Portugal," remembers Sobrino,
Ponferradina finished just a point off promotion, and it was their sole season alongside one another.
"Andy had done a nutrition course, and we began implementing it with a diet for professional athletes," he recalls. The two followed the regime, ahead of Sobrino's signing for Manchester City.
On loan at Girona, the future Valencia CF player would play against his friend in the second tier, with his side emerging victorious.
"He's a midfielder who scores a lot of goals, as he's already shown in the cup this season. He was the captain at Ponferradina and the idol of the team, and now he's an important player at UD Logroñés."
"We'll swap shirts after the game. We spent a lot of time together and we wish each other the best."