21 Striker Club Brugge Chile

2014 has been...

…fine. Not bad. Not good. Just fine.

Admittedly that’s not at all a bad thing but when he broke into the Club Deportivo Universidad Católica at just 17, there were links with the biggest teams in the European game. To now be in the Belgian Jupiler League at 21 is a little bit of a let-down.

Castillo is doing okay at his new club after taking some time to get settled in the early months of 2014. Club Brugge made the smart purchase of Nicolás knowing that if they can get him firing for them, a team with bigger pockets will soon make contact.

Nicolás is a strong, well-built striker blessed with a tireless attitude. There is no cause that he gives up on and he will nip at the opposition defenders from the first until the last minute, trying to force mistakes or reactions from the players.

Sometimes that attitude can manifest in an unnecessary fashion and he has been reprimanded in the past for some off-the-field “problems”. Nothing has flared as yet in Belgium but it may be around the corner.

What's next?

Nicolás Castillo is the sort of striker that only his own fans really like. Everyone else sees them as a pest or a nuisance. The Chilean has great technique on the ball, superb movement and heading ability you wouldn’t expect that given his stature. He Is just 5ft 9in tall but is really strong with his head.

Someone that can produce the extraordinary, Nicolás can be trusted to play up front on his own. He works hard as the lone striker and has enough physicality to hold the ball up for his teammates, assuming his touch is solid enough to retain the pass.

The Chilean is a great player to have around when things are going well for his side; but a bit of liability in a tense moment. We’ve seen a couple of defenders use his never-say-die nature against him and he’ll need to get wise to that, or his disciplinary record will get longer than it really should.

Growing up as a fan of Universidad Catolica and then playing for the club, it was easy for Castillo to throw everything into each game that he played for the club. We worried he might not be able to replicate that drive away from home in the European game. Five goals in his last five league games for Club Brugge, including a hat-trick recently suggests that he is doing okay after a sticky few months towards the end of last season.

"Nic Castillo has lacked consistency since a move from Chile to Club Brugge; he's now looking the part as Preudhomme’s men find their feet." - John Chapman

"Nicolás Castillo has scored eight times so far this season in the Jupiler Pro League, with five coming in his last five." - OptaJoe

C The good just about outweighs the bad.

For the latest Asics Running Shoes, head over to Millet Sports