Real Madrid star Federico Valverde has opened up on an unsuccessful trial he had at Arsenal in 2014 – despite initially feeling at home in north London.
The then-16-year-old was invited to the Gunners by Arsene Wenger, and he had a week to impress. He trained alongside the likes of Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez, describing them as ‘spectacular’ players.
Valverde was, ultimately, ‘snubbed’ by Arsenal and returned to boyhood club Penarol back in his native Uruguay, where he made his first-team debut in August 2015 just a day after turning 17. He was snapped up by Real Madrid the following summer, initially playing with the youth squad.
He made his first steps in senior European football during a loan spell at Deportivo La Coruna during the 2017/18 season, before returning to Los Blancos and earning his Real first-team debut in October 2018.
Valverde has since gone on to lift a cabinet-load of silverware and he’s a staple in Carlo Ancelotti’s side. He was a key part of the team that won a memorable treble last season under the Italian.
The 26-year-old has already won the Champions League twice, in addition to three La Liga titles, two Club World Cup trophies and six other pieces of silverware. He has also been capped 66 times by Uruguay.
Reflecting on his brief spell on trial at Arsenal, Valverde told Marca: “I was 16. [I thought] That’s it. This is my club. I’m going to grow here [at Arsenal].
“In Uruguay, the Premier League is watched a lot. I imagined a future there. I enjoyed it and trained with spectacular players.
“I don’t know if he’ll remember me, but Dibu [now-Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez] was one of the ones who helped me the most with everything, along with [Hector] Bellerin, Alexis and Cazorla.
“I didn’t know English – and they had to explain all the work to me. I was already competing with big people in the Uruguayan league. I felt I was ready for a higher step.”
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