Steven Alzate was the star of the first victory in the history of Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield. Born in Camden, London, but with deep Colombian roots, this midfielder grew up watching Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry play and now dreams of representing Colombia in a World Cup. “This is my goal,” he admitted in a conversation with Efe a few weeks after reaching his first Premier League goal in the best possible scenario.
“It meant a lot to me as a player. To score my first goal as a Brighton player against a team like Liverpool. And not only to score the goal, but also to win the game. We hope to be able to continue like that,” said the Colombian.
Born in the Camden neighborhood 22 years ago, Alzate is fluent in both English and Spanish, but when asked why he chose Columbia as his team, he is clear. “I feel Colombian for my parents,” he explains.
Alzate grew up surrounded by Colombian music, food and customs and never broke away from them. Although she developed a love for him
football following the great players of the Premier League. “I used to see players like Thierry Henry, at Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas … I tell you these players because I’m a fan of Arsenal and I always saw them when I was a kid.”
Alzate fell in love with Arsenal at a glorious stage in its history and fulfilled his dream of signing for a Premier League team in 2017, but his progress was cut short by a series of injuries that kept him pregnant his and his time at the team affiliate. “I had to recover from various injuries, but not only the injuries affect you, but also the quick recovery from not playing. You have to be strong physically and mentally. You have to be prepared for when they need you. and take advantage of the opportunity the technician offers you. ”
During his loan season at Swindon Town in 2018, he suffered the worst failure. The loan deal was broken due to a serious back injury that separated him from the team in December. Until then, he had been the undisputed owner. Everything pointed out that for 2019 the Colombian will leave again, but no.
Graham Potter, a touch game lover, decided to test Alzate in the pre-season and asked not to come out. He established himself as a regular player in the eleven titles and played 21 matches last season, despite missing the final part with a groin injury. He renewed for four years in July last year and restored all confidence in Potter when he opted for the match against Liverpool on February 3 with his goal. “I don’t know if it was played by Trossard or just me, but I’ll score,” Alzate said with a laugh after giving Brighton their first victory in the Liverpool feud.
“As soon as the match was over, I received about 10,000 messages and I didn’t have time to read them all. Messages from my family, the people closest to me, my friends … everyone was very happy for me “Now his goal puts him very high. “My dream with the national team is to play the World Cup. My dream as a club at the moment is to be here and succeed here. When I grow up I will think of going to a new club for a new adventure,” said Alzate. , who already knows who will start with the senior team, when Carlos Queiroz was there, although he still has a call pending with the current coach, Reinaldo Rueda.
In addition to being a hero in Brighton, Alzate is also a hero in Villavicencio, the city where his father grew up and where his brother runs the Alzate Foundation, meant to help underprivileged children walk. “We do it to help children so that they have the opportunity to play football and not be on the street doing things they shouldn’t be doing. In South America there are a lot of talented players and so we can give them that opportunity to show it. We help even the most disadvantaged who do not have the opportunity to eat or drink. ”
Given the 2022 World Cup, Alzate aspires to become what his childhood idols were once in the Premier League. For now, it already has its place in the Brighton history books. Alzate is Anfield’s hero.