De la Red flying Madrid flag high

Real Madrid CF have an abundance of imported talent in their first-team squad yet homegrown product, Rubén De la Red, is widely tipped to save the club millions as he continues to impress.

Comfortable feeling
The 21-year-old central midfielder has been compared to such luminaries as Fernando Redondo and Bernd Schuster, with the former Argentinian international describing De la Red as the pearl of the club's youth teams. While still a regular in the reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, De la Red has made the step up to the top level appear seamless during the eight appearances he has made for the seniors in the last two years. "I am used to training and travelling with the first team," he explained. "Luckily, I have been included in a lot of training sessions and the pre-season tours and I feel comfortable. The truth is that I have been made to feel very welcome."

Early debut
His ability to drop back and play as a holding midfielder, as well as break forward and help build attacking moves, is a huge plus-point and that versatility has won him many plaudits. Mariano García Remón gave the player, who joined Madrid at 13, his first test at the top level on 11 November 2004 in a Copa del Rey game against CD Tenerife and he has since gone on to be selected by successive coaches Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Juan Ramón López Caro and now Fabio Capello.

Superb goal
After making seven senior appearances last term, De la Red captured the headlines with a wonderful goal in Madrid's Copa del Rey fourth round, second-leg victory against Écija Balompié this season. His ability to score from distance is just one asset in an armoury that includes an impressive first touch, vision, tackling ability and speed of thought. "Whenever I go out I want to do my best," says De la Red. "All I want to do is to stay at Real Madrid and if Capello has confidence in me then that would be great. It is very difficult [to play regularly] here, but not impossible."

Michel praise
While gaining valuable experience under reserve coach Michel, who enjoyed a distinguished career at the club himself, De la Red is aware that he is in great demand with other teams making regular enquiries about taking him on loan. Michel believes that the prodigious midfielder can achieve everything he wants at Madrid and has actively encouraged him not to look elsewhere. "His attitude is exemplary and with the personality he has, he will go as far as he wants to go," the Castilla coach states.

Ambition
This season De la Red has been called upon Capello on several occasions and he continues to be a regular in the Spain Under-21 side, having played at nearly every international youth level, including being part of the squad that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Despite the fierce competition for places at the highest level, De la Red has no doubts that he will make the step up on a permanent basis and if that happens, Madrid will be able to put the chequebook away for a while longer. "It is my dream, it is my desire and it is what I have to do," he says on his wish to play alongside fellow homegrown stars Iker Casillas, Guti and Raúl González regularly. "I want to play for the first team at Real Madrid."