There has rarely been a player at Ibrox over the last decade who has inspired the fanfare, passion and hope of the Rangers support like Alfredo Morelos. Indeed, it’s hard to think of any who’d inspire a 30-minute feature to legions of adoring fans.
Soy Alfredo is an insight into the Rangers icon of right now, the main man, El Bufalo. And given the notoriously expectant crowd at Ibrox, that pressure is not an easy one to carry.
At 22, with little English, you’d expect it to be even harder for a small-town Colombian boy 4995 miles from home.
But it’s one which he relishes. On the pitch, Alfredo Morelos is a firebrand. A passionate, willing, capable footballer who thrusts himself into the centre of (almost) every match he plays.
His aggression and determination aren’t without their flaws, but with those traits also come many benefits. Least of all goals. Most of all a captivating, on-pitch character.
A mature, grounded character
Yet, in Soy Alfredo you hear from a young man who has a calmness and humility normally attached to someone several years his senior. Someone who’s experienced more than the average 22-year-old, someone on an inspiring journey through poverty in Colombia.
You hear from a determined athlete, one grounded in his ambitions and whose world really revolves around the people who believe in him and have done so all along. His family, those who helped him get where he is, the people from his hometown of Cerete.
He comes across as grateful and composed, yet unfazed and not one bit overawed. He’s enjoying this. And why shouldn’t he be?
Morelos is confident in his ability but has a seriousness about the route with which he takes to fully recognise it. Both on and off the field.
Interchanged with chronological shots of his match-winning, utterly lethal four-goal display against Kilmarnock, the soft, honest voiceovers in Soy Alfredo are almost juxtaposed to his notorious on-field fiery character.
With the camera fixed firmly on him, you see the determination in the player. This is a striker who has one focus – ensuring the ball hits the back of the net. He ghosts between defenders as if nonplussed by their presence, seemingly a second sharper than them, ready to strike.
Still some way to go for Alfredo Morelos
But in both his commentary and the footage, you see how raw a talent and person Alfredo Morelos is. You get a clearer picture of how far he still has to go not only as a player but also in his own development off the field. There are people to make proud. He’s still a young man.
It’s an insightful, candid, enjoyable watch/listen. It shows the other side of a striker too often put down by frustrated opponents and elements of the media. Someone who’s humble and focused, who’s willing to work to achieve his dreams.
Morelos also reiterates just how happy he is to be at Rangers and in Glasgow. Whilst there’s little doubt the Colombian will leave Ibrox eventually, it makes you wonder if he’s in any rush.
If we continue to trust him and continue to let him develop, we might get to enjoy El Bufalo for another year just yet.
