For Jose Marquez, life feels a little surreal right now.
At just 19, the former St Peter’s High School student from Frampton-on-Severn — raised only a stone’s throw from Forest Green’s training ground — has suddenly become the name on everyone’s lips after producing two dazzling cup performances in a week.
On Tuesday night, Marquez, who is a lifelong Forest Green fan, produced a dazzling display in the National Cup tie against Wolves U21s. Leading the line with maturity beyond his years, he not only found the net but also set up two more goals to inspire a 3-2 victory.
It was the perfect follow-up to his weekend heroics in the FA Cup, where he hit a hat-trick for Tim Flowers’ Alvechurch. That treble proved decisive and has only added weight to the growing belief that Marquez is a player destined for much bigger things.
Marquez is set to conclude his loan spell at Alvechurch this weekend and described the experience as invaluable: “Going to Alvechurch and playing regularly was brilliant. I got minutes I hadn’t had earlier in the season, and scoring a hat-trick in the FA Cup really boosted my confidence.”
Marquez also thanked Church boss Tim Flowers for his support: “Tim had a great career, so when someone has achieved what he has, you naturally want to learn from them as much as possible. It’s a great bunch up there and I’m really grateful for everything they’ve done for me.”
For Marquez, progressing through the academy to signing his first professional contract feels like a dream come true: “It’s every lad’s dream to play for their local team, so for me it really is a dream come true.”
His rise has been a steady one. Joining Rovers at 13 after being spotted at a youth tournament for Frampton United, he followed a path already familiar to his family — his older brother Manolo had also represented the club at youth level.
Marquez remains rooted as he embarks on his fledgling career: “Obviously, I’ve still got a lot to prove. I need to work hard every day in training to get my shirt.”
The young striker has flourished within the system, growing under the guidance of academy boss Yan Klukowski, himself a former Forest Green midfielder, and coach Micky Byrne, who represented Rovers in the 1980s.
On Klukowski’s impact, Marquez said: “The career he’s had in the Forest Green shirt is brilliant and it’s something that I want to achieve in the Forest Green shirt as well. So every day, whenever I can speak to him, especially in the academy days, I was trying to learn as much as I can. And he gave me advice, obviously, about going on loan and playing.”
Marquez has been supported strongly by his family: “They’re proud of me – even when I was out injured for a year with my ACL, they watched every single game, even when I wasn’t playing. So the amount of miles they’ve done has been awesome. I’m going to have highs and lows. So I need to be not too high, not too low, but just carry on going.”
Marquez heaped praise on senior striker Christian Doidge, who has taken the youngster under his wing: “Doidgey’s had an unbelievable career and he’s such a good guy. I try to learn from him every day because I want to follow the path he’s taken. Even better, he’s a brilliant person off the pitch. All the lads have been great with me too — as a young player coming through it can be tough to fit in, but they’ve all welcomed me and been top class.”
Marquez praised the impact of boss Robbie Savage, highlighting his renowned work rate from a glittering Premier League career: “He always worked hard, and that’s exactly what he expects from us. We just try to put that into practice as much as possible.”
Marquez knows there’s plenty of work ahead. But if the past week is any indication, his potential ceiling might be far higher than anyone first imagined.
