Ignacio Camacho’s impressive start to the season has not gone unnoticed by Vicente del Bosque, who on Friday rewarded the Malaga midfielder with a first call-up to his national team squad as he sets about the task of rebuilding it following the disappointment of last summer’s World Cup.
The 24-year-old is not the only fresh face included for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Belarus in Huelva on November 15 and the friendly with Germany in Vigo three days later, as Alvaro Morata, Nolito and Jose Callejon have all been given the chance to prove they can be an integral part of La Roja’s future.
However, in Camacho’s case his selection was possibly as much a surprise to the player himself as it was to Spain supporters, particularly as he could be forgiven for thinking international recognition had all but passed him by after the promise he had shown earlier in his career. On the other hand, maybe it is apt he has now forced his way into the senior squad after representing Spain at every youth level as a youngster.
Zaragoza-born Camacho was always destined to become a footballer, his father having been a professional with Real Zaragoza and Real Valladolid in the 1980s, while his elder brother Juanjo played for Segunda B outfit Huesca.
The young Ignacio started out with his hometown club before being spotted by Atletico Madrid and invited to join their academy, and it was not long before he was making his mark. A natural leader both on and off the pitch, he captained Spain to glory at the 2007 European Under-17 Championships and was handed his full La Liga debut, aged just 17, by boss Javier Aguirre against Barcelona in March 2008 – a game Atleti managed to win 4-2.
Even so, the following season did not go entirely to plan despite Camacho being promoted to the Spanish Under-21 side, Aguirre preferring the more experienced Maniche and loan signing Ever Banega in his central midfield, and he played just eight times.
His situation did not improve much during the 2009-10 campaign, when he made 12 appearances, and in late December 2010 he was transferred to Malaga for €1.5m along with goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo after missing much of the early part of the season through injury.
To all intents and purposes it appeared a backward step for Camacho, who joined the Andalusians at a time when they were struggling to stay clear of the relegation zone, but it would prove to be an inspired piece of business by boss Manuel Pellegrini as the drop was avoided and a fourth-place finish achieved 12 months later.
It was just the kick-start to his career Camacho needed and he was to become a vital cog in the Malaga midfield as the Costa del Sol outfit stormed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2013, when they were controversially knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.
Pellegrini’s departure to Manchester City at the start of last season saw Bernd Schuster take the reins at La Rosaleda, and he immediately made it clear he did not see Camacho as one of the first choices in his engine room. As a result, he became something of a bit-part player until some outstanding contributions obliged the German to hand him a regular place in his starting line-up, to which he responded by notching a personal best tally of five goals for the season, including doubles against Granada and Celta Vigo.
It is form that has continued this term under new boss Javi Gracia and Camacho has become very much the senior statesman in the Malaga midfield, despite his tender years, with youngsters Samu Castillejo, Sergi Darder and Samuel all benefiting from his leadership.
Although Camacho would be the first to admit his game is not based on natural ability, he more than makes up for it with a tremendous work ethic and possesses great vision and heading ability, while he also keeps things simple and covers the whole of the middle of the park.
What really singles him out, however, is that he is always striving to improve and views every training session as a personal challenge. It is an attitude that sees him never rest on his laurels and his promotion to Del Bosque’s squad is just reward for his efforts.
Whether or not he figures against Belarus or Germany there is now an opportunity for Camacho to become a regular member of the Spain set-up, given Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso have now departed the international scene. The one thing that can be said with any certainty is that if he doesn’t, it will not be for the lack of trying.
