In yesterday's edition of the program "We are Santos", the guests were two young promises from the Warriors' Basic Forces, the home-grown players Jorge Sánchez and Gerardo Arteaga.
It should be noted that both players, besides being great players and young promises, are great friends off the field.
Both players came to football incidentally, their debut in professionalism, that was not by luck, but by their effort and dedication.
"Truthfully, I never imagined playing outside of Guadalajara, as a child I was in Chivas and Atlas academies, in Tercera a scout saw me, sent me to Torreón and since I wasn't registered in that division, that was in May 2013 and I never imagined it," Arteaga, a player from Zapopan, Jalisco, said.
On the other hand, Jorge has always been a Santos fan at heart, for him playing on his favorite team is a dream come true.
"Always a Santos fan at heart, since I was a child. I supported them because my family always gathered to watch Santos, it was a good time, and that's where I became interested in football, as a kid I played in the neighborhood and that's where it all started," he recalled.
One of his idols was Carlos Cariño, "yes, he was one of my idols, I saw him many times in the old stadium. Going professional was unexpected, I played for fun, I joined a team with some teammates, I saw my family happy to see us play."
Jorge is one of the young players who is called up to the first team, he said that it is the competition that has raised the level of the squad, especially for the home-grown players.
"The competition is intense and that makes the player grow more, the hunger, besides that, all the home-grown players have it, we want to transcend, it's that, wanting to be better every day and work hard. Competition is crucial there."
For Jorge Sánchez, getting to where he is now was not an easy path. "It was a very difficult step, not being with your parents, I am very grateful to my sister for helping me, my mother left very worried, but she supported me."
"It's a good experience, living two years without your mother, I spent all my time in the clubhouse, I only went home to sleep," he remembered.
Gerardo, on the other hand, still lives in the team's clubhouse, where he said discipline is necessary.
"There are many strict rules, everyone knows if they follow them or not, they're not constantly chasing after you, you know it's the regulations and you have to abide by them."
"An act of indiscipline, you get a yellow card, and on the second one you get expelled, so you have to follow the rules."
For Jorge, making his debut in the first team was a day he will never forget. "Unexpected words, a very important day, I will never forget that day, it was September 18th of last year."
"A lot of nerves but happy for taking that step, I had been waiting for that moment, grateful to God, because despite the difficult times, you find yourself well later on," he commented.
He recalled that a few days before his debut, he already had a feeling. "You realize it during the week, they start putting up the lineup in training, I already had a feeling."
Gerardo, on the other hand, shared how his debut was. "It was something very beautiful, what everyone dreams of, that day before the match I couldn't sleep, they don't tell you that you're going to debut, they give the talk and I started as a starter," he said.
Once in the first team, the more experienced players support them. "Almost all of them, the captain, Izquierdoz, gets close to me when I debuted, everyone supports you so that you feel confident," Gerardo affirmed.
Being a professional changed everything. "It helps you in many ways, I have improved a lot on and off the field, you're no longer a player from the Basic Forces, you're from the First Division," he said.
For Jorge Sánchez, the team's current situation doesn't make them happy at all. "Restless, with a bitter taste, but I see this team as very complete, we have had great games, and we have to turn the page, think about the next match, keep preparing ourselves," he declared.
Both received a pleasant surprise from the production, with a video where their family members appear, sending them words of love and support.
JFR