Carlos Soler exclusive: Valencia's big hope for the present and the future

In an exclusive interview with David Garrido, Carlos Soler talks about his career at the Mestalla and how Valencia will improve consecutive 12th-place finishes this term.

Soler has had an eventful start to his time as a Valencia first-team player.

He has already played under three different managers since making his debut in December 2016 - then it was Cesare Prandelli who was in charge, but not for much longer.

By the time Soler was given his first start and got his first goal for Los Che, Voro had taken over until the end of the season.

Now the new campaign has started, Marcelino is the man marshaling things from the dugout - perhaps the demanding figure that Valencia needed to improve on two seasons finishing 12th.

Nevertheless, this academy graduate and lifelong Valencia fan has impressed all three of those bosses, and has fitted in with all their different tactical plans.

Now in a 4-4-2, he's nominally out on the left wing but it doesn't mean he's stuck out on the touchline.

"I try to offer the team width, other times I try to come in off the wing, give the full-back space to overlap and get up the line," the 20-year-old revealed to Sky Sports.

What's evidently clear from talking to the midfielder is that he is happy just to contribute, wherever he plays.

Soler was one of the standout players in Valencia's 1-0 win at home to Las Palmas, assisting Simone Zaza to score, but knows what follows is the true test of his team.

"After Las Palmas at home, we then go to the Bernabeu," he added. "Then it's Atleti at home, and then we've got a derby against Levante - but we're going into the new season with confidence.

Already in his fledgling career, Carlos scored in another local clash at Villarreal, also netted a late winner in a 3-2 victory at home to Celta Vigo, and in the summer he made his debut for the Spain U21 side at the European Championship in Poland.

A lot is expected of this player who has only just left behind him his teenage years, especially with an €80m (£73.7m) buyout clause in the contract he signed in May until 2021, which seemed to immediately quieten down any links with a move to Manchester United.

Not that any of that bothers him: "(That's) something that's done by the club, by agents.

"When I go out on the pitch to play, I'm not thinking: 'wow, I've got a really high buyout clause and I've got a lot of responsibility on my shoulders.'"

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In fact, Soler feels that anyway, as an increasingly-valued member of the first-team squad. The question is whether he can handle that responsibility.

Like everything else, Carlos will probably take it in his stride.