Antonio Adan Finally Gets Chance

Antonio Adan

Only two minutes into Sunday's match against Espanyol, Iker Casillas was sent off after seeing a direct red card. Jose Mourinho quickly turned to his bench and tabbed Antonio Adan for duty. It was the youth teamer's time to step up, and he didn't let anybody down. Following the match, Mourinho commented that "Adan debuted unexpectedly and performed fantastically. He looked like a veteran. Hats off to him." It was the culmination of fourteen years of grueling work in the Real Madrid youth system.

His road to the first team began in 1997 when he joined Real Madrid’s Under-11 side. Years passed and Adan moved his way up through the club ranks as well as those of the Spanish national team, who he captained to the U-19 European Championship title. Prior to becoming the first team’s third string keeper this year, he spent the 2005/06 season with Real Madrid C and the four ensuing years with Real Madrid Castilla.

By 2009 Adan was already participating in several workouts with the first team and was on the Champions League roster. But it wasn’t until 8 December 2010, when Real Madrid had already clinched a berth in the UCL Round of 16, that the keeper debuted against Auxerre following an injury to Jerzy Dudek. "It was very special after 14 years here at the club and something I will never forget," he said following the match.

And Sunday is surely to be another day the keeper will always remember. Even after stepping in for his unexpected La Liga debut, Adan performed majestically and aided his team in securing three crucial points against Espanyol. "I was ready. I want to thank the coach for having faith in me. I was very relaxed and I knew things would go well."

Adan’s career hasn’t been all fun and games however. Everything was put on hold in 2008/09 after he tore his ACL in his right knee. After sitting out more than half of the season, the keeper insisted that "the injury made me a much more mature." Once healthy, he continued putting in hours of hard work until finally earning a spot on the first team.

The academy holds a special place in Adan’s heart and he is a major proponent of its work. Over the last two years, the keeper has organized a U-10 tournament "inspired by my childhood and a similar tournament I used to participate in. I like to be here and share this moment with them. I am happy to be able to organize such initiatives and it pleases me to no end that teammates like Canales and Granero come out to help."

Nine years separate them, but Alfonso Adan is also a Real Madrid keeper playing on the U-14 side. Alfonso is a league stand-out just like his older brother was. The youngster has the perfect role model in Antonio, who represents all that it takes to make it to the first team.