The wrestling icon has become the master of managing top talent and he outlined how he would deal with the issues at Manchester United

Paul Pogba’s frosty relationship with Jose Mourinho has been one of the major talking points of the Premier League season, and Triple H has revealed how he would handle the Manchester United duo.

The behind-the-scenes row between World Cup winner Pogba and United manager Mourinho is a storyline of WWE proportions and has led to speculation that one, or both, will leave the club by the time next season rolls around.

Triple H, or Paul Levesque, is best known for being 14-time world champion, though he has now entered the world of management as WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative since 2013.

The long-time wrestler now spends more time behind the scenes, running the WWE’s ever-expanding developmental brand, NXT, which features some of the most promising wrestling talent from across the globe.

He gave his take on Pogba’s strained relationship with Mourinho, after the club’s poor start to the Premier League season, and how he would deal with different personalities.

“You hope to start with a talent that you don’t have those problems down the line,” Triple H told Goal . “That you manage that process right from the get-go. Part of hiring that human being is hiring the right person that is thankful for the opportunities, that always wants to work harder and wants to work together with you.

“It is not about them or you. It is about working together. If you are doing what’s best for them and you, then there’s usually a place where you can come to an amicable agreement. It is usually when one side is working for their own benefit that things don’t get along.

“It is about recruiting but also it is what you do with them when you find them. It is easy to create your own monster.”

There may not be a Wrestlemania showdown between Pogba and Mourinho but that did not stop many of the world’s top executives coming to listen to Triple H on the headline stage at the Leaders Sport Business Summit at Stamford Bridge last Thursday.

During his visit to London, he also announced the launch of NXT UK. NXT is the WWE’s sub-brand for developing young new talent and Triple H is keen to see his brain-child soak up the best of Britain.

Indeed, many members of the ‘WWE Universe’ believe that NXT routinely outstrips the main brands of RAW and SmackDown, which will celebrate its 1,000th episode on Tuesday.

Representatives from the Premier League, NFL and NBA were at Stamford Bridge to listen to Triple H speak and he says he is happy to see many aspects of his brand’s shows being imitated in other sports.

Fireworks, walk-on music, behind-the-scenes footage and hyped-up video previews of matches have been an increasing presence on our screens in football, and he believes the WWE’s influence is underrated.

“Absolutely not,” replied Triple H when asked if WWE’s influence is recognised. “I have seen our cultural impact. I have seen U.S. presidents take a walk out of the locker room just to go to the podium, after they have seen them do it at our shows.

“I have seen us from our lighting, to our shooting to our character expressions, to the way we format it. I have seen it resonate to other genres and businesses. I think it is wonderful and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but I don’t know that it always gets the credit.

“I don’t think people want to say where it came from all the time, they want to make it look like it was theirs. That’s okay, we know. The truth is we are all out there and everything is entertainment. The truth is that with sports, people watch it to be entertained.

“Giving people their money’s worth at every level is what this is all about. When you see them copying things that we have been doing for a long time, or you see them copying mannerisms of our talent, who in many ways are encouraged to be larger-than-life characters, whereas they are encouraged not to be larger-than-life characters, is great to see.

“I think in some ways many sports athletes, where it is more about the team and the team’s longevity, they are encouraged to be less about the individual.

“I think that many of those sports stars and athletes live vicariously through our athletes where they get to be larger than life at all times.”

WWE’s launch of NXT UK will be a boost to a burgeoning independent wrestling scene in Britain. Indeed, PROGRESS Wrestling recently ran the biggest independent show in the UK in over 30 years, playing Wembley Arena, and utilising the current WWE UK champion Pete Dunne.

This launch is set to be replicated in other markets, with Triple H mentioning the likes of India and Australia as future potential locations. As an iconic villain in the WWE, Triple H gave an insight into what UK wrestlers need to become a superstar.

“I think like anybody that makes it, you bring something to the table and you can’t put your finger on exactly what it is,” he added. “For me, I know I didn’t get into the business to be famous. I didn’t get in the business to become rich. I got into the business because I loved it.

“I wanted to be great at it and I wanted to succeed at it. If somebody was willing to work harder [than me], I was willing to work even harder than them. I was never afraid to go the extra mile, to put in the extra work and time to make it. I think that’s one of the factors.

“When I look across the board at the people who have been the most successful in this business, it is always the ones who are willing to put in that extra work. The Rock and John Cena are prime examples of that. They are the guys who go the extra mile. They say I am going to put in that extra hard work to make sure of my success.

“One of the things from a performance standpoint, and one of the biggest things we look for, is charisma. It is the intangible, unteachable factor that you just can’t manufacture in somebody. They have a certain type of charisma. When they walk in the room they are the type of person that people take notice of.

“We are looking for things like that. We are obviously looking for the best athletes. First and foremost, we are looking for the right human being. We are looking for someone that’s willing to go that extra mile, not because, if you are just doing it for the money or the fame and then there’s a certain point in time where you reach that success level, but you have to want to do it for a bigger reason, for the right reasons.

“To be something more. To resonate with kids and be an example. To want to give back to the company and the business around you. So, being willing to put that effort in, with that extra work and hard work becomes very important to us. So, it is the person that is doing it for the right reasons and who is willing to go that extra mile.”

Roberto Pereyra’s top-level career was being questioned after numerous injuries but he’s now among the EPL’s top players and back in Argentina’s team

There have been some great sporting comeback stories in 2018. In tennis, Novak Djokovic put a chronic elbow problem behind him to win his first grand slam in over two years at Wimbledon, before following that up by claiming the U.S Open. Meanwhile, in golf, a 42-year-old Tiger Woods defeated time, logic and debilitating back pain to win his first PGA Tour title in more than five years.

Watford midfielder Roberto Pereyra may not be a global superstar like Djokovic and Woods. In fact, he points out that – unlike many footballers in England – he doesn’t even like golf, preferring to play cards, pool or listen to his favourite music artist, Ulises Bueno, in his spare time.

However, there are certainly many parallels to be drawn with his story in 2018. Like Djokovic and Woods, Pereyra’s top-level career was being questioned after a succession of injuries that ravaged his first 18 months at Watford, following an £11.5million ($15.2m) transfer from Juventus in the summer of 2016.

He played just 13 times in his first campaign in Hertfordshire due to a knee injury, scoring two goals, before groin and tendon problems further restricted his impact at the start of last season. By the time 2018 rolled around, some critics were beginning to write off Pereyra ever showing the kind of form that made him a star at River Plate, Udinese and Juventus – where he played in the Champions League final.

But in this calendar year, the midfielder has exploded into life to become one of the Premier League’s best players. He has scored seven Premier League goals in 2018. Of the players listed as midfielders by Opta, only Riyad Mahrez (eight) has scored more EPL goals than Pereyra in 2018. The Argentine has found the back of the net more times than the likes of David Silva, Delle Alli, Christian Eriksen and Paul Pogba.

This impressive tally includes three goals in a barnstorming start to the current campaign. He also marked his return to the Argentina squad after three years away by scoring seven minutes into his comeback against Iraq on Thursday.

“I am very happy to start the season like this. I worked hard and prepared myself after the many injuries I have had over recent years,” Pereyra tells Goal. “When I arrived here I had the misfortune of being injured. I lost almost a year-and-a-half of football. Last year, I hadn’t done the pre-season preparation and so I struggled a bit because I would play and then get hurt again.

“But this year I prepared great and then also Watford changed a few things inside the club. Things have been working well and we are all happy.”

Certainly, the appointment in January of Javi Gracia – who replaced Marco Silva – has been crucial in Pereyra’s turnaround. The Argentine is now being deployed in his best position as an attacking left midfielder where he can utilise his searing pace, dribbling skills and guile.

Gracia has also understood that Pereyra is a player of great personality. The midfielder’s “more than 15 tattoos” perfectly symbolise this personality – he is someone who isn’t shy to graft and put his body on the line.

His favourite TV series is ‘Vikings’, which tells the story of the Norse warrior Ragnar Lothbrok. Just like Ragnar successfully raided English land, the aggressive, hard-working and warrior-like Pereyra is also an expert on English football pitches when it comes to stealing possession from enemy territory. This season he is among the top 10 EPL midfielders for ball recoveries, along with team-mates Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

“Javi Gracia has been very important for me,” Pereyra explains. “He understood how I wanted to play and then he instilled his trust in me, which was also very important.”

Pereyra is thus enjoying his football again. He is close friends with Watford’s Italian striker Stefano Chuka Okaka, who interrupts our interview halfway through to play a prank on his colleague.

When asked to pick five footballers – dead or alive – he would invite to dinner, Pereyra includes Okaka along with Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, the Brazilian Ronaldo and himself. “That would be some party!” he laughs.

The 27-year-old has been pivotal in Watford’s impressive start to the Premier League season. The Hornets won their first four games and should have added more points after dominating for long spells against Fulham (1-1) and Arsenal (0-2). A 4-0 meltdown at home to Bournemouth before the international break has been the anomaly this term and some fans have even dared to dream about European qualification.

“The team has started very well, especially physically, but our first thoughts are about avoiding relegation,” cautions Pereyra when asked about Europe. “But if we continue to do well, in January we will see what is possible.”

What has already happened, though, is a recall to the Argentina national team on the back of his brilliant individual displays.

The 27-year-old had not played for his country since September 2015 but returned to the fold under caretaker boss Lionel Scaloni for the friendlies against Iraq and Brazil. He enjoyed the perfect comeback against the Iraqis, scoring just seven minutes after entering the field in a 4-0 win.

“Due to my bad injuries, many years have passed since I was last selected. I am happy to be back. I worked hard for this and I want to make the most of this moment,” he says.

“It was an objective of mine to return and to help lead my country, but I know it will now be even harder to keep my place. I will continue to work hard for my club so the next call-up arrives.”

The Albiceleste have endured a tumultuous 2018. Their preparation for the World Cup was chaotic and the situation descended into chaos in Russia as coach Jorge Sampaoli appeared to lose control of the dressing room.

Amid widespread reports of a player mutiny, Argentina performed dismally and were eliminated in the second round by eventual winners France, with Sampaoli subsequently paying with his job.

“It was not what we expected from the Argentina national team, given the class and the standard of players that we have,” Pereyra says of the World Cup showing.

“It went badly but we can’t look backwards. There are new players that are joining the national team and we hope to create a good group ahead of the Copa America next year.

“There is lots of young Argentina talent. I like [Exequiel] Palacios, who plays for River Plate. He is a strong midfielder. There is Paulo [Dybala], there is Lautaro [Martinez], there is [Mauro] Icardi. These are strong players who definitely will give a hand to the squad.”

Pereyra reserved special praise for Dybala, who set up his goal against Iraq and with whom he played during his second season at Juventus in 2015-16. The 24-year-old Dybala has developed into one of the world’s most exciting players in recent seasons and is often described as the natural heir to Messi in the national team.

However, the pair have struggled up until now to find space in the same starting XI. As both players are creative, left-footed No.10s who like to occupy the same space behind a central striker, it has been questioned whether the two superstars are too similar to co-exist. Indeed, Dybala even confessed himself last year that “it is not easy to play with Messi because we play the same way”.

Dybala barely got a look-in during the World Cup – playing only 22 minutes as a substitute during the 3-0 defeat to Croatia – and he has still not opened his goalscoring account for his country. But Pereyra has no doubts that Dybala will shine for Argentina.

“Dybala has already shown that he is a great player,” Pereyra says. “With the years he has accumulated [at Juventus], he has gained more experience and now he must continue doing what he has been doing. Definitely, he will reach great heights.

“I believe it is not a problem for Dybala and Messi to play together. They have more or less the same characteristics but them playing together for Argentina would be fantastic. We hope this happens so we can reap the rewards of these two players of great class.”

Messi has announced that he will not play for Argentina again this calendar year but it is expected that he will return for the 2019 Copa America in Brazil in order to have one final shot at winning a major international trophy.

Leo’s failure to lift the Copa America or World Cup has often been cited as the reason why he shouldn’t be considered as the greatest player of all time. However, Pereyra doesn’t accept this theory.  

“For me, he is the greatest ever,” insists Pereyra, who also names Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany as the toughest defender he has played against.

“I have seen him play and seen what he does in training. I have not seen anyone else do the same things he does. At Barcelona, he has demonstrated just how great a player he is through everything that he has won and will continue to win.

“He demonstrates his greatness in every game. Even when he doesn’t score, just his presence creates fear. He showed this against Tottenham in the last Champions League game. He scored two goals and made the difference.”

Messi won’t be around to make the difference on Tuesday as Argentina continue their preparations for Brazil 2019 by playing their bitter rivals in a friendly in Jeddah.

But Pereyra will be present as he aims to put the cherry on the cake of a beautiful 2018 comeback story.

The 18-year-old could still be sent out on loan this season, but the Serie A champions want him to commit to a longer deal first

Juventus are looking to tie record-breaking frontman Moise Kean to a new deal, Goal understands.

The 18-year-old, who has re-written the history books since making a senior breakthrough in Turin, is currently working on a contract through to 2020.

Interest in luring him away from the Serie A champions has been shown, with La Liga outfit Leganes and Ligue 1 heavyweights Marseille having made approaches over the summer.

Juve are eager to ensure that they remain the ones to benefit from Kean’s considerable potential, however, and are planning to table fresh terms.

It could be that another loan switch is sanctioned for the youngster once a deal is agreed, with the 2017-18 campaign having been spent with Verona.

By the time that move was made, Kean had already become the first player born in the 21st century to make his debut in one of Europe’s top five divisions.

Juve handed him his bow as a 16-year-old in November 2016.

He has since become the first player born in the 2000s to grace a Champions League game and the first to score in an elite league – having netted against Bologna on the final day of the 2016-17 campaign.

More record-breaking was achieved in his most recent outing – once again relating to his date of birth – as Kean opened his goal account for Italy’s U21 side in a 2-0 victory over Tunisia 

He has also taken in another European outing for Juve this season, in a meeting with Young Boys, and is considered by Massimiliano Allegri to be a useful option for the present and future.

The Bianconeri are pleased with the progress being made in his development and feel that upward curve can be maintained with an extended stay in Turin.

Working alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo in training is expected to present Kean with the opportunity to learn from and emulate some of the finest performers in the business.

He may face fierce competition for attacking berths at the Allianz Stadium, but the Vercelli native is held in the highest regard by Juve and they will be doing all they can to ensure that contract extension talks reach a positive conclusion.

Gabriel Jesus and Renato Augusto return to the starting line-up against Saudi Arabia while Ederson will have an opportunity to impress in goal

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On Friday, Brazil face Saudi Arabia in the first of a Chevrolet Brasil Global Tour double-header in the Middle East.

As usual, coach Tite confirmed his line-up the day before the match which will see him continue to tweak his side as he carries out a number of experiments ahead of next year’s Copa America on home soil.

In the first of a three-phase process ahead of World Cup 2022, Tite is introducing fresh faces in each squad as he looks to trial the next generation of Selecao stars and fine-tune his side ahead of a return to competitive action next year.

And while there are plenty of changes to the starting XI from last month’s Brasil Global Tour dates, it’s interesting to note that there now appear four players who will form the backbone of Brazil going forward.

Captain Neymar, midfielders Coutinho and Casemiro, and central defender Marquinhos are here to stay.

Goalkeeper Alisson looked the final player to have his place in the starting XI assured, but on Friday Manchester City’s Ederson will be handed only his second international cap as he hopes to convince Tite and goalkeeping coach Taffarel that he can be the Selecao’s no.1.

There were no less than eight debuts handed out in September as Neto, Felipe, Eder Militao, Andreas Pereira, Arthur, Lucas Paqueta, Richarlison and Everton all represented their country for the first time at senior level. 

Friday will bring just one debutant, as Bordeaux defender Pablo lines up alongside Marquinhos at the heart of the defence. 34-year-old Miranda replaced fellow veteran Thiago Silva in the squad this month and could return to the starting line-up against Argentina on Tuesday but neither appear long-term options, leaving the discovery of a regular partner for Marquinhos a priority.

To the right, Liverpool’s Fabinho will once again have a chance to impress after a fine performance against USA next month. Striker Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, will also be keen to make a good impression after being left out of the squad completely last month.

Competing the for the role up front is Roberto Firmino who, despite making a relatively slow start to the season with Liverpool in England, looks to have edged ahead of Jesus in the pecking order. Firmino will start in the Superclaisco against Argentina and a strong showing could see him become first-choice for the first time.

But Richarlison will also want to be heard. The Everton forward capped his first international start last month with a brace against El Salvador and has looked excellent leading the line, despite operating wide on the left for his club.

After going into the World Cup as Brazil’s undisputed no.9, Jesus failed to find the net in Russia and will now have to work hard to regain his place.

A large crowd is expected in Riyadh for a clash that has been nicknamed locally as the SuperClassic, playing on the label of the great Brazil-Argentina fixture.

The Les Bleus man cited the Chelsea defender as a cornerstone of the national team while showering extra praise on Atletico team-mate Thomas Lemar.

N’Golo Kante is a “fundamental” part of France’s team because of the character he shows on the pitch, according to international team-mate Lucas Hernandez.

The Chelsea defender was an unused substitute as the World Cup winners battled to a 2-2 friendly draw at home to Iceland on Thursday, with his absence notable as the hosts struggled to Effectively nullify the visitors in midfield.

Kylian Mbappe eventually inspired a late comeback from being two goals down, with the Paris Saint-Germain star forcing a Holmar Eyjolfsson own goal and scoring a late penalty.

Kante is expected to come straight back into the starting XI for the visit of Germany in the Nations League on Tuesday, and Lucas is confident he will make a difference.

“The character he shows on the pitch, the desire he has – they make him a very important player,” the Atletico Madrid defender told reporters.

“He is everywhere, he gets 15-20 balls per game – he’s huge. Having a midfielder like him is a fundamental piece [of the team].”

Lucas also heaped praise on fellow Les Bleus man Thomas Lemar, who has joined him at Atletico in pre-season and appears to have adapted well to life under the infamously demanding Diego Simeone.

The 22-year-old even thinks Lemar has settled quicker than Antoine Griezmann did after joining from Real Sociedad in 2014.

“Lemar is a very great player, he has adapted very quickly to Atletico, which is not easy,” Lucas added.

“Antoine had trouble early, all the big players had trouble. He concentrated and he is an indisputable starter with us.

“In the national team he is not an indisputable starter, but he is a great player. In each training session he gives the maximum, he has a very good mentality.”

France’s Nations League clash against former world champions Germany is their final game of the current international break, though they face Netherlands and Uruguay next month.

Lucas and Lemar both return to Atletico, who next travel to Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday while Kante’s Chelsea host Manchester United in the Premier League.

The Three Lions untested players are ready for the challenge of facing the World Cup finalists, according to their manager

Gareth Southgate doesn’t believe his young England side should be considered experimental for their Nations League fixture against Croatia.

The Three Lions take on their World Cup semi-final conquerors in Rijeka on Friday, with both teams searching for their first win in League A Group Four.

Southgate named an inexperienced squad for fixtures against Croatia and Spain – Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Leicester City’s James Maddison among six uncapped players selected.

Injuries to back-up goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and first-choice left-back Danny Rose have further complicated matters.

Southgate insisted he will field a team ready for the pressure of facing Croatia, but noted he thinks his whole squad has the quality to start. 

“We’re here to try and get a result so the team we play will be a team we believe in and [one that is] ready to start,” Southgate told a news conference.

“Nobody in the squad is someone we’re not thinking of putting into team, so it is not experimental, they are players we believe in.

“There are some players who are relatively inexperienced but who have impressed us in training and showed they can handle this level.

“The Croatia team is very strong. Mateo Kovacic was on the bench for the semi-final final but Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic are two great attacking players. 

“The midfield is almost the strongest in the world. It is a really good test for our team.”

Friday’s encounter at Stadion HNK Rijeka will be played behind closed doors, with Croatia serving their second game of a crowd ban imposed by UEFA after a swastika symbol became clear on the pitch during a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy.

Southgate, whose side lost 2-1 to Spain in their first Nations League outing, is expecting a surreal experience, but insisted his players are well prepared.

“It will be strange, we effectively do that every day of our lives playing in front of a handful of people watching but for an international it is very different,” he said.

“But we will be prepared. Croatia, I am sure will feel the same, not having the support of the passionate fans. 

“It is a shame for the travelling fans who were brilliant for us at the World Cup and those who have not missed a game for decades.”

The Manchester City defender is ready for himself and his team-mates to take on their semi-final conquerors behind closed doors

England defender John Stones believes facing Croatia in an empty stadium in the Nations League will be a “strange situation.”

Gareth Southgate’s men meet Croatia in Rijeka on Friday in a rematch of their World Cup semi-final, but a completely different atmosphere awaits.

The hosts are serving a ban for a punishment handed to them in 2015, when a swastika pattern was seen on their pitch during a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy.

Stones is prepared for the unusual situation, but he insists it will have a bigger impact on the hosts.

“We spoke about it during the week, how to handle it, what we’re coming into and that we’re coming into this game with none of our fans and especially none of their fans, which will play a bigger part on their behalf,” the Manchester City defender told UK newspapers.

“It will be a strange situation. I’ve not played in an empty stadium since going back to FA Youth Cup days.

“I don’t think we will focus on it too much. We trained all week on what to do on the pitch and not to focus on what’s off the pitch.”

Croatia edged England 2-1 after extra time when they met in Moscow three months ago.

“It still plays on your mind, it was such a big occasion for us as players and the nation, the nation was all behind us,” Stones added.

“As players, we lived it. It was difficult to take. I don’t think anyone will lie about that in the squad.”

The Blues No.1 wasn’t even playing third division football when his compatriot joined Man Utd – now he’s challenging him for Spain’s goalkeeper jersey

Kepa Arrizabalaga might be the most expensive goalkeeper in the world following his £71 million ($93.4m) transfer from Athletic Club to Chelsea back in August , but it was not all smooth sailing for the 24-year-old earlier in his career.

The Basque shot stopper started his career at Athletic, making a one-and-a-half hour round trip from his home in Ondarroa to the club’s Lezama complex on a regular basis from the moment he joined them at the age of 10.

He was just 17 when he made the bench for the Bilbao outfit, but he needed four years in the lower divisions to make his dream come true and play in La Liga.

Kepa earned the interest of Getafe after lining up for Athletic’s B team as a 17-year-old, but it was Ponferradina that eventually managed to lure him away from Bilbao on a temporary basis.

He immediately made an impact at his new club, and then Ponferradina coach Jose Manuel Diaz, who now works at Real Madrid, was particularly blown away by the determination of the young goalkeeper to take his chance on loan.

“I already knew him from his time with the Under-15s and Under-18s,” Diaz told Goal . “We had also faced him with Bilbao Athletic (the Athletic youth team). I asked for his signing at the beginning of the season, but could not make it happen until the winter transfer window.

“I spoke with him to get him to join the team as soon as possible. I told him ‘if you arrive on Wednesday you will play the next match against Racing Santander’ and he arrived on Tuesday. He is a great professional, even being so young as he was and he still is.

“He is a very nice guy, affable and with very clear ideas. I – and many people [at the club] – knew that he had a great future and we saw it happening before our own eyes.”

Kepa became the first Ponferradina player ever to be called up to Spain’s Under-21 squad, and they were keen to renew his loan spell ahead of the following season. However, Athletic opted to send him to Real Valladolid instead in an attempt to speed up his development.

In Miguel Angel Portugal, Kepa had a manager who used him 40 times that season and who had little doubt the shot stopper had a great future ahead of him.

“Kepa played for me at Valladolid,” Portugal told Goal in India, where he now manages Pune City. “He was a big, big goalkeeper. I sent him a message [after he joined Chelsea] that he might be young but that he is ready to play for the best teams in the world.

“I am not surprised [he cost Chelsea £71m]. When you know Kepa, you understand what he is worth. The value of a player is not necessarily the price that a team pays for that player. The price has nothing to do with the player. It is the price that the market sets.

“For me, he is the future of Spain. He is the future goalkeeper for Spain, I am sure of this.”

Following his loan spells at Ponferradina and Valladolid, Kepa went on to make his Liga debut for Athletic in September 2016 and quickly established himself as a top goalkeeper.

He even appeared to be on his way to Real Madrid in January 2018, but the deal eventually fell through, with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit then going for Thibaut Courtois instead ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

His failed move to Madrid meant he played alongside new arrival Inigo Martinez in the second half of last season and the centre-back is confident his former team-mate is here to stay.

“He’s a great goalkeeper. He attended the World Cup while being so young,” Martinez told Goal . “Chelsea signed him for €80m, nobody pays that amount just for the sake of it, but because he is worth it. He is proving it, in fact. He is playing, performing well, winning games.

“He has personality, he is a great goalkeeper who performs well with his hands and his feet. Maybe [David] De Gea is ahead of him for Spain now, but we have three great goalkeepers and if one decreases his level, the other will soon take his place. Here not only the goalkeepers, but we all have to give 100 per cent because we all want to be a starter.”

De Gea is now arguably setting the standard for goalkeepers all over the world and certainly in English football. He has been regarded as one of the undisputed best around in the game for quite some time, whereas Kepa had not even started playing in the third division in Spain when De Gea joined Manchester United.

Yet the Chelsea man now finds himself battling his compatriot for the No.1 jersey at the national team as they come prepare to face-off in the Premier League for the first time on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. That feat shows just how fast Kepa’s rise has been. 

Additional reporting from Alberto Pinero & Nikhil Jitendran.