‘The Little Prince’ who conquered the Old Continent: Andrés Guardado and his 500 games in Europe

Although he is not as mediatic as Hugo Sánchez or Rafael Márquez, Andrés Guardado is an exceptional Mexican soccer player. The ‘Little Prince’ does not have the track record of the two aforementioned footballers, but his tour of the Old Continent has been stunning.

The midfielder arrived in Europe with Deportivo La Coruña in mid-2007, with a great World Cup and a great performance in the Copa América behind him at just 20 years old.

The winger played 149 games for Depor, both in the first and second divisions, scoring 25 goals and providing 30 assists. He was relegated with the A Coruña team and was also part of the squad that got promotion. He later arrived at Valencia, where he could never find his place, and had a brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen. After these couple of failures in his career, Guardado went to PSV Eindhoven, where he was reunited with his best level and revived.

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With the farmers he added 102 games, scored four goals and gave 22 assists. The ‘Little Prince’ reinvented himself on the field and took on another role, now as a brain in the middle of the field. With this team he won two Eredivisie and two Dutch Super Cups. Thanks to his great performance in this squad, Guardado caught the attention of Real Betis for one last adventure in a top league.

Since his arrival in Heliopolis, the Mexican player has played 154 games, in which he has added three goals and 16 assists. Currently, despite his seniority, Guardado is an element that counts, either as a starter or relief, for Manuel Pellegrini. 500 games in Europe later, the Aztec team shows week after week that he can still be a key player at the highest level of European football.

Based on dedication, effort and discipline, Guardado has had a great career in the Old Continent and although he still has a long way to go, the 35-year-old has shown his countrymen how you can achieve a successful career and stand out at the highest level. Guardado is an example for young Mexican players who dream of putting down roots in Europe.