Real Madrid News
David Alaba reveals ‘the manager behind his success’
Since his arrival on a free transfer, David Alaba has become an indispensable part of Real Madrid’s defence. The Austrian international has covered spectacularly after Sergio Ramos’ departure and has been one of, if not the most versatile player, under Carlo Ancellotti.
The former Bayern Munich player is capable of playing at left-back and central midfield, though his main position is at the centre of the defense.
His ability to play in multiple positions is a boon for the manager, but it took Alaba a long time to understand what his best position was on the field.
The defender revealed details about the same in his interview with Die Presse (h/t Fichajes) in which he credits his conversion to a centre-back under Pep Guardiola.
“Pep has always seen something in the players that they themselves did not see. Although I felt comfortable in the centre of defense from the beginning, I did not immediately realize that my future would be there.
“But I think my advantage has always been that can be used in a very flexible way.”
The 29-year-old also revealed that he dreamed of being a striker in his earlier days, before making the switch to the posterior part of the pitch.
“When I was ten years old, I was a center forward at SV Aspern, so I didn’t just dream of scoring goals, in fact I did. In Austria, I was initially on the left wing, then in midfield. I learned a lot from it and gained a lot of experience in the field,” said Alaba.
Alaba has scored one goal and provided three assists so far in La Liga. With 2.5 clearances per game and ten clean sheets, he has proven to be one of the club’s best signings in recent years.
Stats via Transfermarkt
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
