da imperador bet： The 20-year-old has been one of the stars of the season in La Liga, and he is set to be hot property once the transfer window opens

da jogodeouro： La Liga's February Player of the Month award had an unexpected recipient. It didn't go to Antoine Greizmann, who was spearheading a turn around in fortunes Atletico Madrid. Nor did it go to Ronald Araujo, whose dominance at the back had buoyed a Barcelona European defence that has been the best in Europe this season. Real Madrid superstars Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema were both also snubbed.

Instead, it went to a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who had only broken into a mid-table Celta Vigo side in August. But that player, Gabriel Veiga, was a deserved winner.

The midfielder had led a surging Celta side, pulling the strings for a team pushing up the table, and taking on the mantle of leadership from club legend Iago Aspas. Veiga has now scored nine and assisted four in La Liga in 2022-23, establishing himself as one of the most exciting youngsters in Spanish football.

Now, the rest of Europe has taken notice. Veiga is wanted by a host of clubs, both in Spain and abroad, with many tipping him to be a top-quality attacking midfielder for years to come.

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Veiga was born in O Porrino, a stone's throw from Celta's stadium, Balaidos. He joined Celta's academy at 11 and worked his way through the ranks as a promising but not exactly heralded talent.

He was a distinctly unremarkable midfield product for most of his youth career, and like many in the Celta system, he idolised Aspas. But there was little suggestion that Veiga could reach the Spain international's heights.

The midfielder instead took his chances as they came, and began to impress for Celta's reserve side as a 17-year-old.

In 2020, he was handed his first-team debut, and made a smattering of appearances thereafter, including one start, for a Celta side that finished eighth in La Liga.

AdvertisementThe big break

Heads first started to turn in the 2021-22 campaign as Veiga scored nine for a Celta B side that finished sixth in the Spanish third tier, and was entrusted with a further 10 appearances for the first team.

This season, though, things have skyrocketed. Veiga didn't figure to be a regular, but a series of departures in central midfield saw him forced into the picture.

He settled for a series of appearances off the bench in the opening month, but cracked the starting XI after a star showing against Real Betis last October. Veiga scored the winner, a 30-yard-screamer, to hand his side a 1-0 victory.

That showing — complete with a memorable goal — was enough to keep Veiga in new manager Carlos Carvahal's line up for good.

How it's going

Since then, Veiga has only improved. Previously tasked with being a more conservative box-to-box midfielder, the 20-year-old has been asked to get into advanced areas more regularly, playing as an active No.10 for a Celta side that likes to hit on the break.

And he's produced a handy return of both goals and assists since the positional shift. Veiga scored the equaliser against Sevilla on December 30, bagged a brace in a 4-3 win over Betis in early February, and scored two of Celta's three in a drubbing of Valladolid at the end of the month.

The midfielder has become a dangerous attacking threat with his pace and ball carrying ability. He has now created at least one chance in 12 of his last 13 appearances, and ranks in the 96th percentile of successful take-ons among midfielders, per .

Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

Despite being quite tall for a playmaker at 5'10 (178cm), Veiga is an excellent dribbler, and uses his power to work his way out of trouble in crowded spots before making driving runs into the final third. That he is able to receive the ball on the half turn and then hit full speed quickly makes him an incredibly difficult player to mark.

And there's little he can't do when he gets into the right areas. Veiga has scored some terrific goals from distance this year, and has the rare blend of confidence and technique to shoot from outside the box — especially while on the run.

But the 20-year-old also has a real finesse to his game, too — something he showed with a delightful dink over the keeper in Celta's recent win against Betis.

Veiga is, then, the perfect attacking midfielder for sides that like to play on the break.