"Miguel Angel has got that calmness about him which is very important. But,
of course, he'll need a bit of luck to make it."
With all the acclaim, the object of the fuss might be expected to be rather
full of himself, but Delgado is an excited young man, not in a hurry but keen to
impress.
Words are not his medium -- he does his talking in front of an animal furious
with pain and intent on doing him damage.
"I did pretty well," he said after a fight. "But there's a long way to go."
Delgado has several advantages -- a good teacher in Vargas, natural talent
and a father in the business.
Pablo Delgado is an assistant bullfighter in the team of Sebastian Castella
-- the French matador sensation who is taking Spain by storm with his ice-cool
temperament and apparent disdain for his own safety.
"It's good having a father who knows how things are in the bullfighting world
and he's shown me a lot, as has Pepe Luis since I started at the school," said
Delgado.
The senior Delgado, who knows how hard it is to succeed in bullfighting, is
obviously both proud and nervous about his son's prospects.
Asked what he thinks of the young man embarking on a career in the arena, he
shakes his head and takes a big breath.
"It's very difficult," he said as he waited to perform in the northern city
of Leon recently.
MILLIONS AT STAKE
If his son succeeds and rises to the top of the pile, he could charge as much
as 100,000 euros ($125,400) for each appearance in the biggest bullrings.
Megastar "El Juli" is said to have turned down 150,000 euros for an appearance
in Seville.
The cachet enjoyed by bullfighters in Spanish society endures despite a vocal
anti-bullfighting camp which is certainly more militant today than it was 10
years ago.
