Michel warns Girona hero Misehouy to stay grounded

Gabriel Misehouy rescued a point for Girona on his debut as they salvaged a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in LaLiga, but coach Michel has warned the teenager must remain grounded.

The 19-year-old Dutch midfielder came off the bench for his debut in Girona’s league opener at Betis, having joined from Ajax on a free transfer in July.

He found the equaliser from a counterattack he initiated and was a constant menace to Betis’ backline, almost scoring the winner with some brilliant play late on.

Michel was not surprised by Misehouy’s impact but told DAZN he has much to learn, saying: “Gabriel is a brutally talented player, but as of today he still lacks the collective mentality to be a great player.

“He has a lot of room for improvement. He still doesn’t speak Spanish but I hope he listens to me…

“Maybe the goal won’t do any good for him, I don’t want it to be… He has a lot of talent, but we have to focus on him so that he can work for the group.”

Sempre fins al final, míster! pic.twitter.com/9dXhpm9wds

— Girona FC (@GironaFC) August 15, 2024

Missing several players due to illness, Michel was satisfied to leave Seville with a point to start a season in which Girona are under the spotlight, having finished third to reach the Champions League last term.

Even if they have lost the element of surprise, Michel is confident the club will continue their upward trajectory.

“I think the team had the personality to play with our idea, knowing that the connections are not yet there,” he said.

“I am very happy with the performance, knowing the problems we had.”