Real Madrid young striker Carlos Ispi, one of the most promising talents at the club, has revealed the behind-the-scenes story of his move to the Royal club last summer, despite interest from Premier League clubs. He also spoke about the influence of Portuguese coach José Mourinho on his development, and his great admiration for French teammate Kylian Mbappé.
اضافة اعلان
Ispi, aged 21, is enjoying a standout period at Real Madrid. He has scored three goals in just 51 minutes of play, which helped the team take nine points, confirming his scoring ability despite his limited appearances.
The Spanish striker stands 1.94 metres tall, and is known for his ability to take chances in front of goal. This has made him a focus of attention recently, and earned him a second call-up to the Spain under-21 squad.
Speaking on the programme El Largo on the Spanish Cadena SER radio station, Ispi, who comes from the town of Tavernes de la Valldigna in the province of Valencia, talked about the rapid changes in his career since moving from Levante to Real Madrid.
The young striker admitted he is still trying to take in the fast-moving developments in his football career, having moved in a short space of time from Levante to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
He said: "Everything that has happened to me is unbelievable. Nobody expected it, not even my family. Now I have to keep working."
He added: "It's hard to take in all of these things, because they happen very quickly. You have to be ready, because things don't stop."
Ispi explained that his move to Real Madrid came as a surprise, despite having other options to continue his career outside Spain.
The Spanish striker acknowledged that Premier League clubs were interested in signing him in last summer's transfer window, but said he did not hesitate to choose Real Madrid when the Royal club's offer came. He said: "There were options to move to the Premier League, but when Real Madrid came along, I couldn't say no."
He continued: "Everything happened very quickly, and all the details were finalised in just two days."
Ispi stressed that joining Real Madrid is not the end of his ambitions, but the start of a new phase in which he hopes to develop his abilities and prove he deserves to wear the club's shirt.
He said: "I came to Real Madrid to learn, improve and keep developing. I will fight for Real Madrid, and I will try to achieve everything."
Ispi devoted an important part of his interview to praising Mourinho, stressing that the coach's attention to detail and direct contact with players are a great help to him at the start of his time with the club. He said: "I will try to make the most of every minute the coach gives me."
He added: "What I like most about Mourinho is how great he is, and how easy he is to work with, as well as the level of demands he places on players."
He went on: "The fact that he cares about me so much, and tells me what I'm doing well and what I'm doing wrong, is extremely important to me."
Ispi explained that Mourinho regularly reminds him of the importance of patience and not rushing to win a bigger role in the team. He said: "Mourinho tells me I need to be patient. You have to make the most of every minute and every opportunity you get, and that comes through daily work. Every minute he gives me is worth its weight in gold."
Ispi expressed his great admiration for French teammate Kylian Mbappé, stressing that he tries to learn from every training session alongside him. He said: "Kylian Mbappé is an amazing player. In every training session, I try to learn from what he does and what he tells me. He is the best player in the world. As far as I'm concerned, he deserved to win the Ballon d'Or."
The Spanish striker spoke about the aspects of Mbappé's ability that most impress him: "What surprises me most is how good he is, his great pace, and his ability to dribble."
He concluded his remarks about the French star by stressing how important it is to train alongside him: "It is a great honour to be able to train with him."
