Moisés Caicedo: World Cup One to Watch
Excitement is starting to build all over the world of football as the 2022 FIFA World Cup is mere hours away.
For the players, such huge tournaments are the biggest stages they can get to showcase their talents. Nowhere does this ring truer than for under-23 talents.
Therefore, we will be taking a look at a number of young talents who are primed to impress in Qatar this winter.
Today Ollie Spencer joins us to discuss Moisés Caicedo.
Ecuadorian midfield engine, Moisés Caicedo, is rapidly becoming a household name in the Premier League. The 21-year-old is maturing and growing with each passing game.
Caicedo only made his Brighton & Hove Albion debut in February of 2022, replacing Solly March in the 61st minute in a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, but he has since excelled.
He went on to make eight consecutive starts in the final eight games of the 2021/22 season. Speaking in the summer, former Brighton boss Graham Potter said his only regret was not playing the Ecuadorian sooner.
Caicedo is a product of the illustrious Independiente del Valle academy that also gave opportunities to other exciting U23 talents such as Piero Hincapié and Gonzalo Plata. Both have been named in Ecuador’s World Cup squad, along with Caicedo.
Tim Vickery, a highly respected freelance journalist, and South American football expert shared his opinion on Caicedo soon after his move to England’s top flight was confirmed.
“Independiente del Valle, [are a] little club who exist in order to develop players and sell them, and they do it unbelievably well. They bring in top-class Spanish youth coaches to develop their players and in 2020 you saw the good foundation that Moisés Caicedo has.
“[He] stepped into the first team at his club – breeze, stepped into international football with Ecuador – breeze, he’s up against Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, he makes it look easy! Box-to-box midfielder, terrific athlete, cool in possession.
“He’s not a wizard, he’s not that kind of glamorous player but he’s got so much to offer. I think if I had enough money, I’d buy him myself and put him on my mantelpiece!”
Where does Caicedo play?
Although his senior career has been short, Caicedo has already shown great adaptability and versatility. He’s proven to be equally adept at playing in a double pivot, as a lone 6, as the deepest in a midfield three, or as a more box-to-box style 8 in a three-man midfield.