Valour FC midfielder Diego Gutiérrez has been named the league’s player of the month for April 2023.

The 26-year-old helped the Winnipeg side to an impressive start to the season in the league, as they sit at the top of the table after the opening month. Individually, the month was highlighted by his first CPL goal, which he scored three minutes into the club’s home opener against Atlético Ottawa on April 22.

“It’s a big month for me, my first goal with Valour,” said Gutiérrez, “the excellent week for me when the coach told me about being the captain. The guys help me a lot too. I don’t know man, it was a month [that was] unreal for me.”

The month was also highlighted by a move to attacking midfield, a position in which he has thrived. Aside from the goal, Gutiérrez has created chances at an elite rate for the Winnipeg side, whether that be for himself or his teammates.

He is tied for second in the league in both chances created and shot attempts, with seven of each. He is also third in the league in passes played into the opposition box.

“I always told him that sometimes players like him, they are invisible,” said Phil Dos Santos. “Everyone knows that he is good, but nobody really praises him, because a lot of what he does is invisible. I told him in the off-season, ‘For you now it’s about getting a goal, an assist once in a while because that is going to be the next level for yo.u. I’m happy that it’s going well for him. He is a very good player.”

While adding new dimensions to his game, Gutiérrez has also kept the ‘invisible’ qualities, like his sterling 88.14 per cent passing success rate, 156 successful passes (fifth most in the league) and 21 recoveries (sixth best in the league) so far this season.

Valour’s impressive start has been one of the surprises of the league so far this season, and Gutiérrez has been the central architect behind that success.