Érick Gutiérrez


Érick Gabriel Gutiérrez Galaviz is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven and the Mexico national team.
He began both his youth and senior career at Pachuca, managing to win the 2016 Clausura and the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League the following season. During the 2015–2016 season, he would be named captain for his team at the age of 20. In August 2018, PSV Eindhoven would sign him.
Gutiérrez has participated for various youth levels of the Mexico national football team, including the U-20 side where he won the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship and the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship and the U-23 team that participated 2016 Summer Olympics. He was also part of the senior team that went to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Pachuca

Erick Gutiérrez joined Pachuca of the Liga MX at the age of 12. In his early career he started as a right-back, then moved to midfield. He made his debut on 26 October 2013 as a starter in a 0–0 draw at home against Cruz Azul. He made 10 more appearances including 4 more starts that season. He was made a permanent starter at the beginning of the 2014–15 Liga MX season under the management of Luis Fernando Tena. Gutiérrez scored his first Liga MX goal on 7 February 2015 in a 1–1 home draw against Toluca. In April 2016, at the age of 20, Gutiérrez was assigned as Pachuca's captain after only 70 league matches. At the end of the Clausura 2016, he was named on the tournament's Best XI.
In his time at the club, he amassed 144 league appearances.

PSV

On 29 August 2018, Gutiérrez joined Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven on a five-year contract, joining up with international teammate Hirving Lozano. He was handed jersey number 25. On 15 September, he made his debut with PSV against ADO; within five minutes of being subbed in, Gutiérrez assisted in Lozano's goal as well as scoring himself in their 7–0 away win. Three days later, he made his UEFA Champions League debut against Barcelona, coming on in the 82nd minute for Pablo Rosario in PSV's 4–0 defeat. On 30 October, he would score his first KNVB Cup goal during the second round match against RKC Waalwijk, scoring in the first minute of the game but PSV would go on losing 3–2.
The following season, he was handed the number 15 jersey. In September, he picked up a hand injury while training with the national team and returned in a match against PEC Zwolle, coming on as a substitute and scoring the fourth goal of the 4–0 victory.

International career

Mexico U-20

Gutiérrez was called up by the Mexico U-20 team managed by Sergio Almaguer for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. He was named captain of the team despite only playing only in four matches out of the six as Mexico went on to win the tournament and earned a berth to the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. He would also be listed on the tournament's Best XI.
Selected to participate at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he was Mexico's captain during the tournament as the team failed to pass the group stage.

Mexico U-23

On 18 September 2015, Gutiérrez was selected by coach Raúl Gutiérrez to play in the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship.
He was also picked to represent Mexico at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On 7 August, he scored 4 goals as Mexico bounced back to win 5–1 after Fiji took the lead in the first half of the second group stage match.

Mexico national team

In 2015 Gutiérrez was placed in Mexico's provisional list for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup but did not make the final 23-man squad.
He was named in Mexico's squad for a friendly against Senegal in February 2016. He would eventually make his debut with the senior team on 11 October 2016, in a 1–0 friendly victory against Panama.
On 28 June 2017, Gutiérrez was called up to participate in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, managing to appear in all group stage games including the semi-final where Mexico lost 1–0 against Jamaica.
In May 2018, Gutiérrez was named in Mexico's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He originally did not make the final 23, but due to an injury to Diego Reyes, he was selected as a replacement.
He was included in Gerardo Martino's preliminary roster for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was subsequently included in the final roster for the tournament. He would only appear in the second group stage match against Canada, where as a starter he would pick up a hamstring injury leaving him 2 weeks out. Mexico would go on to win the tournament, defeating rivals the United States. In a September friendly against the United States, he would score his first international goal, winning the match 3–0.

Style of play

A left-footed box-to-box midfielder who can also play as a deep-lying playmaker and the holding role, Gutiérrez started off his career as a defensive midfielder until then-Pachuca manager Diego Alonso opted to play him in a more advanced position. A versatile, intelligent, and creative player, he is good at reading the game, capable of picking out and completing key passes, possesses superb positioning, links plays together using his technical ability and vision on the ball, denies opposing advances, is capable of shooting from long-range, and is able to make dribbling runs from deep. His level of composure and maturity despite a young age has been shown in the leadership roles he assumes, captaining the Mexico U-20 team as well as his former club, Pachuca.
He has been compared to national team compatriot Andrés Guardado.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
16 September 2019MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States2–03–0Friendly

Honours

Club

Pachuca
Mexico Youth
Mexico