Marc Roca’s Premier League stint is off to a good start. The Villafranca-born playmaker has established himself as a regular starter for Leeds and he opened his scoring account for them during their most recent defeat against Brentford.
The 25-year-old was the Whites’ fifth summer acquisition along with the arrivals of new boys Rasmus Kristensen, Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, and Tyler Adams. Roca was signed on a four-year deal that’s worth around £10-M.
He has drawn comparisons to Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets earlier in his career. However, he still has a long way to go in order to fully achieve his potential.
But the good news is that time is still on his side. Assuming Roca stays healthy, the sky is the limit for him and probably for Leeds as well.
Here at SBOTOP, we examine Marc Roca’s football career thus far – from where he started playing the beautiful game all the way to his emergence at Elland Road.
The love for the game started at home
Marc Roca joined Espanyol’s youth setup in 2008 when he was 11 years of age. After moving up through the ranks, he made his senior debut with the reserves, starting in a 2-2 home draw against Lieida Esportiu.
He then scored his first senior goal in January 2015 in a 3-2 loss to UE Olot. Two years later, he was promoted to the B team after renewing his contract.
On August 2016, Roca was handed his La Liga debut by Quique Sanchez Flores during a 2-2 draw against Malaga. Because of his solid performances, he signed an extension until 2022 and was permanently promoted to the main squad the next season.
He scored his first goal in Spanish top-flight on April 2019 during a 2-2 draw against Levante. However, Espanyol were relegated to the Segunda Division for the first time in 26 years after finishing at the bottom of the table.
In total, Roca made 121 appearances for Los Periquitos, tallying three goals and six assists.
Aside from playing for Espanyol, Roca was part of Spain’s U21 Euro-winning team in 2019, which includes his goal against France in the semis. He has seven U21 caps and two goals under his belt but has yet to play for the senior team.
Bayern Munich taught Roca how to win
Rival clubs took notice of Marc Roca’s development and Bayern Munich were one of them. The Spaniard arrived at Säbener Straße on October 2020 for a long-term contract that would last until 2025.
Roca made his Bayern Munich debut in their 3-0 DFB Cup first round victory over FC Duren. For the whole 2020/21 season, he made a promising return of 11 appearances – which includes his first-ever Champions League match, six Bundesliga games, and a start in the 2021 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
But during the following season, Roca was reduced to being a fringe player since Bayern Munich were stacked with Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Thomas Muller as their top midfield options. It didn’t help that he had injuries at unfortunate times.
This summer, the Bavarians signed Ryan Gravenberch and his arrival would mean lesser opportunities for Marc Roca, so the time was right for him to move on to Leeds.
During his time at Bayern Munich, Roca won two Bundesliga titles as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. The Spaniard only had 24 appearances, with 15 of those in the Bundesliga.
Marc Roca is ready to break out at Leeds
Leeds were in a period of transition when they signed Marc Roca. The Whites were fresh from staving off relegation for one more season and they were having their first preseason under Jesse Marsch.
When the Premier League 2022 news broke that Kalvin Phillips was leaving for Manchester City, Roca was immediately inserted into the starting lineup as their holding midfielder and he has formed a strong partnership with Tyler Adams.
“When I’m going, when I’m pressing, he’s behind me looking at what can happen. For me as well, the relationship is good and every day we understand each other better and we’re helping the team,” said Roca about Adams.
What makes Roca remarkable is his attitude and mind for the game. When he left Bayern Munich few months ago, Julian Nagelsmann and Hasan Salihamidzic both praised him for his professionalism.
Those qualities will go a long way playing for a team like Leeds. In Roca, the Whites got themselves a baller who can elevate their Premier League 2022 odds for the near future.
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