Real Madrid’s New Golden Boy: Marco Asensio
Real Madrid have a new Golden Boy at the club and his name is Marco Asensio. The young attacker has had a wonderful start to his first team debut and under the guidance of manager Zinedine Zidane, he could become one of the world’s top playmakers.
Bought for a €3.9 million fee in a battle between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Asensio, only 20 years of age, excelled in the preseason this summer and his performances allowed him to be picked over teammates Isco and James Rodriguez in the Real Madrid XI.
On loan at Espanyol last season, Asensio scored four goals and had 10 assist in 33 league starts. He returned to Real this summer and is already a fan favorite at the Santiago Bernabéu.
In Real’s 3–2 UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla, his first official game for Los Blancos, scored a wonder goal that would put everyone on notice in Europe.
That then lead to him finding the net with a chip shot over the keeper in a 3–0 triumph at Real Sociedad on the opening weekend of the La Liga campaign. He started for a 3rd third consecutive game against Celta Vigo which lead to a 1–0 triumph.
Asensio was a player some expected to leave for a new club this summer whether it would be on loan or a full transfer. Clearly Florentino Perez and Zidane had other plans for Asensio and saw him as a true talent that could help with Real Madrid win the La Liga title and try to repeat as European Champions.
“I made it clear before preseason that I wanted to remain,” Asensio stated. ‘However, had I not had any playing time, I would have left.”
“After preseason, [manager Zinedine] Zidane told me he wanted me to stay.”
Asensio is motivated to become one of the greats at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I want to make history at Real Madrid,” he said. “I want to make my mark, and I want to win every possible title.”
With Real’s star-studded attacking duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, Asensio says he is learning a lot from the world class players.
“I admire Cristiano’s ambition and his goal-scoring touch,” Asensio said. “Bale has a fantastic left foot, for the time being better than mine.
“He is a great player and I see him winning the Ballon d’Or.”
Asensio is moving his way up with the national team as well and made his Spain debut in a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina in May and has been included in Julen Lopetegui’s 24-man list for the games against Belgium and Lichtenstein. He got there by putting in spectacular performances in the European U19 Championship. He helped lead them to bring home the top prize for the tenth time by scoring two goals and providing three assists in five U19 Euro matches. Asensio’s direct running and control of the offense put him on the map as one of Europe’s top prospects.
“I’m very happy,” Asensio said. “I get to wear the best jerseys, that of Real and Spain.”
Marco Asensio has a very bright future and could end up being one of Real Madrid’s great players given what we’ve seen from him so far, he’s that good. However, it’s still very early to make those types of predictions. He will be a great young talent to watch in all of world football this season.
