Sevilla winger Jesus Navas has beaten a crippling anxiety issue to book his place in Spain’s World Cup squad. He deserves it.
Jesus Navas is quite the curious case. A talented, fleet-footed winger who could cause practically any defender in the world problems, but has remained on the fringes of international recognition due to acute anxiety problems caused by homesickness.
Navas has issues just leaving Seville, let alone travelling abroad. His homesickness has caused successions of anxiety attacks upon leaving the city, forcing him to abandon training camps, refuse to be part of pre-season tours and at one point, quit international football altogether.
Cricket fans will be aware of this condition already, as Somerset and England player Marcus Trescothick has been the victim of such a curse. Again, all the ability is there with Navas, but he has been unable for a long time to manage his demons upon leaving his home.
It’s far too easy to write this off as him being a Romany Gypsy. Like Jose Antonio Reyes before him, Sevilla plucked him from the rural areas surrounding Sevilla and brought him into their youth academy. Whilst it’s well known that the gypsy folk are bad travellers, Navas condition goes far beyond simply not wanting to move.
Navas is a graduate of the famed Sevilla academy, which has brought through the likes of Reyes, Diego Capel and the late Antonio Puerta. Having made his debut back in 2004 at the age of 18, he has risen up to become one of the key members of the squad and has attracted a keen following from the big clubs that like to feed off of the Andalusian outfit.
He played a big part in Sevilla’s UEFA Cup triumph in 2005/06, playing in every game and helping to create Enzo Maresca’s first goal of the evening. This form saw him alerted to the attentions of Europe’s elite, with Sevilla actually agreeing a deal to send the winger to Chelsea at the beginning of the following season.
However, Navas’ fears over homesickness saw the move cancelled and he remained at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. For the next two seasons, Navas maintained a consistent threat, with the knowledge that his career could never progress – despite his abilities – hanging over him like the Sword of Damocles.
The 2009/10 season saw things start in familiar fashion. Sevilla prepared for a pre-season tour to the United States, with Navas declaring his intention to remain at home. However, in a dramatic twist, Navas produced a u-turn on his decision and travelled in a bid to overcome his homesickness. For too long had it held him back in his career and this marked a change in mentality from the Spaniard.
From then on, his season has gone from strength to strength. He has enjoyed his most productive campaign to date for Sevilla, bagging 12 goals in total (including the match-clinching goal against Atletico Madrid in the Copa Del Rey final), whilst his nine assists in La Liga were only bettered by Barca trio, Xavi, Dani Alves and Lionel Messi.
He has also forced his way back into the Spanish set-up, with Vicente Del Bosque calling Navas into his squad for two friendly matches in November, the first in Madrid and the second all the way into Vienna. Navas stood up to his involvement in these matches and has been named as a member of the final 23 players heading to South Africa this summer. In return, he bagged his first ever international goal to clinch a 1-0 win over South Korea.
Now the big question returns. It is not a case of whether Navas deserves a place in the squad, because that goes without question for a player of his ability. But can he handle being out of Spain for a whole month? Can he adjust to his surroundings in South Africa without suffering anxiety-induced seizures? Will he be able to reproduce the form that got him there under these pressures?
Talk has surfaced of a move to Real Madrid over the summer, with officials from the capital club having already put the feelers out to Sevilla. The sky is the limit for Navas; it just depends on whether he allows himself to take flight.