5 uncapped Spanish players who should have made the latest La Roja squad
As Spain reconvene for another set of international fixtures against Israel and France, there’s been some intense debate about the squad selected by manager Julen Lopetegui. There’s no shortage of talent or experience among the 25 individuals but that hasn’t stopped fans and the media from putting forward a host of other names who were worthy of a call-up.
Here, we focus on five uncapped players who find themselves unlucky to be overlooked:
#5 Roque Mesa
From bouncing around the semi-professional leagues a few years ago to becoming a standout player in La Liga over the last couple of seasons, a first international cap would have marked an incredible rise for Roque Mesa. It wasn’t to be this time but if Mesa continues performing to the standard he’s displayed for some time, it’s going to become harder for Lopetegui to ignore him.
Playing in one of Europe’s most entertaining sides, Mesa is the midfield metronome for Las Palmas orchestrating the many beautiful moves they piece together. Despite operating from a deep position, Mesa’s style has been compared to Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.
He’s extremely composed, always willing to receive the ball in tight areas and move it on in a way that opens the game up for his team. As well as making the correct decisions and controlling the tempo, Mesa can also throw his weight around in a defensive sense.
It’s testament to his ability that a number of elite clubs such as Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal are supposedly interested in signing the 27-year-old. The future certainly looks bright for the man from the Canary Islands.