Luciano Valente says Nacho Ferri is making enormous steps at Feyenoord

Feyenoord striker Nacho Ferri is making significant strides in his development at De Kuip, according to teammate Luciano Valente. Speaking on the podcast Geluid van Zuid, Valente highlighted the Spanish forward’s recent performances and high energy levels on the training pitch.

Ferri has caught the eye during recent matches with an assertive style of play that Valente insists is built on growing confidence rather than sudden form. Valente noted that the striker is delivering strong performances and adding real value during training sessions.

“Ferri is doing very well now, making enormous steps,” Valente said in the podcast Geluid van Zuid. “It is a matter of confidence, which is coming out nicely now. It is of course important that we have a striker who scores, he is doing very well. On the training ground I also see that he delivers a lot of energy. Goals and combinations will all come eventually. He also needs time to grow.”

Early criticism labeling Ferri as a potential poor purchase is a byproduct of modern football culture, according to Valente. He argued that players require patience rather than hasty judgments after only a couple of appearances.

“That is also the football of today, isn’t it?” Valente said. Occasionally they just have to wait a little longer to pronounce things. Footballers are always judged on the match, which is of course logical, because that is ultimately what it is all about. You just cannot write someone off after one or two matches.

All-Round Qualities and Tactical Role

Beyond his scoring output, Valente pointed out that Ferri possesses underappreciated attributes that aid Feyenoord’s build-up play. Described as a linking pivot, the Spanish forward combines physical target-man traits with surprising acceleration once he builds momentum.

“Ferri is a linking pivot,” Valente said. What people can be mistaken about: he is also quite fast. Once he gets going, he is loose. That is also a nice quality. He is also starting to score easily now, which gives confidence.

Feyenoord Talents and Long-Term Plans

During the podcast discussion regarding players with high upside within the club, Valente identified midfielder Gjivai Zechiël and youth talent Thijs Kraaijeveld as standouts for the future. He expressed strong confidence in Kraaijeveld’s potential despite the youngster awaiting regular minutes.

“Zechiël,” Valente said when asked who could go far in football. And Thijs Kraaijeveld, I have a lot of confidence in him too. He is not playing yet, but that is certainly someone with a lot of potential. He is also not easily impressed. Kraaijeveld has the build for it, can play football well. Every now and then he has to get tougher in defending, which he is also starting to get better at. In the preparation he still had a bizarre scalp wound. Nice player. As for his own career trajectory, Valente remains contracted at De Kuip until 2030 and maintains a step-by-step approach. While focused entirely on enjoying his football in Rotterdam, he acknowledged future ambitions to test himself in top foreign leagues.

“I do not think about the future that much, I actually never did,” Valente said. I just want to play football nicely and enjoy the game. Of course I am aware of my areas for improvement, I am working hard on that. One of them was scoring, now I have scored more than last year. Although that wasn’t very difficult either. Step by step I am also developing myself. That I have confidence in a nice career should be clear, take it easy, step by step. In the football world it is important that you stand strong in your shoes. I am tied to Feyenoord until 2030, so for the time being I am not leaving here yet. I like it here. Dream clubs? Yes, I would very much like to see myself playing football in Italy or Spain. I do not know where it is going to end.