Full Name: Rubén de la Red Gutierrez Bio Alias: De la Red Place of Birth: Móstoles, Spain Date of Birth: 28/01/1986 Position: Midfielder Weight: 174 lbs / 79 kg Height: 6′1″ / 186 cms Nationality: Spanish
Rubén de la Red is the perfect example of the brilliance of Real Madrid’s youth system. Comparisons can easily be made with other great players on the squad that have excelled thanks to their elegant touch on ball, vision, and outstanding technique. At 23 years old, De la Red is a product of the Club’s academy. Since he joined the Under-17’s, the player stood out among his teammates and caught the attention of the Under-20’s coach, Quique Sánchez Flores. From then on, he evolved remarkably.
De la Red was one of the key players in Castilla’s return to the Second Division. His dominance in the midfield and swift touch on ball convinced Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who called upon the player to join the first team for its 2005 preseason tour. His debut with Real Madrid’s first team was on the 21st of September of that same year against Athletic Bilbao when he replaced captain Raúl González. He made his debut in the Champions League two months later against Rosenborg.
Misfortune struck Castilla and the team was relegated to the Third Division at the end of the 2006/07 season. De la Red joined Getafe for the 2007/08 campaign and had a brilliant year. Bernd Schuster and the Sports Directorship then decided it was time for Rubén to return to Real Madrid.
The youth system player was summoned to join his national team to play in Euro 2008. He was a starter against Greece, scored a sensational goal and eventually won the competition with Spain.
Full Name: Daniel Parejo Muñoz Alias: Parejo Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain Date of Birth: 16/04/1989 Position: Midfielder Weight: 165 lbs / 75 kg Height: 5′9″ / 180 cm Nationality: Spanish
Daniel Parejo joined Real Madrid’s Under-13 side after playing for his fathers team UD Espinilla in his native town of Coslada. In just one year, he managed to play for the Under-20 A side, Real Madrid C and Castilla, finishing the season off with a brilliant free-kick goal to crown Spain as European Champions in the Under-19 competition.
He was a starter in 33 games with Castilla in 2007/08 and scored ten goals. Parjo’s excellent run at Castilla caught the eye of Bernd Schuster, who had him train with the first team on numerous occasions. Parejo even worked out with the squad during the pre-season. He scored Real Madrid’s victory goal against Hamburg in the Emirates Cup clash.
Parejo was loaned to English First Division team Queens Park Rangers at the end of the 2008 pre-season. He enjoyed considerable playing time and performed very well in a tough and competitive league.
Full Name: Gabriel Ivan Heinze Bio Alias: Heinze Place of Birth: Crespo, Argentina Date of Birth: 19/04/1978 Position: Defender Weight: 158 lbs / 72 kg Height: 5′8″ / 178 cm Nationality: Argentinean
Gabriel Iván Heinze is your typical Argentine. He brings a lot of talent to the table and his drive and energy are extremely valuable on the pitch. Like most of his countrymen, he doesn’t back down in the face of adversity and he always gives 100%. His greatest asset is his versatility, which allows him to play both as centre-back and left-back. Heinze’s speed allows him to contribute on both ends of the pitch, whether it’s playing as far up as the opponent’s byline or anticipating every move his attacking rival makes. His winning attitude and hard-working personality make him an essential player on any team.
Heinze’s debut in 1997 with Newell’s Old Boys marked the start of a fruitful career that has seen him play for several teams. His brilliant first season with the Argentine club caught the attention of many European clubs, and it was Valladolid who eventually signed him. He never placed in his first season, but did participate in five matches the following year before being sent on loan to Sporting Lisboa for the remainder of the season. He returned to the Spanish side for the 1999/2000 season and scored one goal in 54 games over the course of two years. In 2001 he signed for Paris Saint-Germain, where in three years he won the 2004 Coupe de France and finished second in the 2003/04 season, after which he signed for Manchester United.
Gabriel became an unquestionable starter for the Red Devils and earned world-wide recognition as a solid defender. Heinze debuted with the Argentine national team in 2003 and the following year won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens.
Full Name: Royston Ricky Drenthe Alias: Drenthe Place of Birth: Rotterdam, Netherlands Date of Birth: 08/04/1987 Position: Midfielder Weight: 147 lbs. / 67 kg. Height: 5’7” / 1.67 m. Nationality: Dutch
The 2007 Under-21 European Championship served as Royston Drenthe’s coming out party. The Netherlands won the competition and the Dutch player was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA, none of which went unnoticed by Real Madrid scouts, who flew Drenthe from Rotterdam to Madrid shortly after the competition concluded.
Compared to fellow Dutchman Edgar Davids since coming on to the football scene, Drenthe is a combination of a Bulldog and Bengal Tiger on the pitch. He is extremely fast and has a flawless physique. His versatility makes him an all-around player capable of playing in several positions, but it’s along the left wing –on either end of the pitch- where he is at his best.
Drenthe played an key role on the Netherlands’ Under-21 squad that won the 2007 European championship and was responsible for the game winner against Belgium in the semifinal. Like several Dutch players including Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert and Frank Rijkaard, Drenthe is of Surinamese decent.
Royston developed his football within the walls of Feyenoord’s youth system and gained national attention by scoring a hat-trick against Ajax in the Otten Cup. He only played in three matches during his first year with the First Team, but in 2006/07 finally got his break and participated in 26 games.
Drenthe is your prototypical Dutch winger who is most efficient when glued to the length of the touchline. Astounding dribbling ability allows him to blow by defenders and make it to the byline to cross into the opponent’s box. He is also a set-piece specialist and possesses an extremely powerful shot.
Full Name: José María Gutiérrez Hernández Alias: Guti Place of Birth: Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain Date of Birth: 31/10/1976 Position: Midfielder Weight: 168 lbs / 76 kg Height: 6’1” / 185 cm Nationality: Spanish
‘Madridista’ is the perfect word to describe Guti. The player has spent most of his life with Real Madrid and is a great example of the kind of talent that emerges from the youth system. Guti has played for almost every youth team since his arrival at the age of nine and has been considered as a special player by every one of his coaches. His rise to stardom kicked into high gear when he averaged 30 goals per season with the Under-20 team, and he wasn’t even played as a striker!
He joined Real Madrid B (now Castilla) for the 1995/96 campaign, during which his one-of-a-kind passing and class A attitude caught the attention of Jorge Valdano, who gave him the chance of making his First Team debut on 2 December 1995 against Sevilla; a match the Whites won 4-1.
Guti got his first real break in top flight football from Vicente del Bosque, who stepped in for John Benjamin Toshack and managed to lead the club to its eighth European Cup in 1999/00. Hours on end in the gymnasium and drastic improvements to his physiognomy earned Guti, until then a tactical, but frail magician, consistent playing time as well as his first call-up from the Spanish national team.
The Madridista finally established himself as a member of the First Team one year later. After replacing injured Fernando Morientes, he paired up with Raúl and scored 14 goals, which played a decisive role in the team’s 28th League title.
Coaches have always taken special interest in Guti because he can adjust to any position on the pitch. He natural position is that of attacking midfielder, but he has also been lined up as a second striker, a left winger, and a defensive midfielder.
In November 2006 Guti signed a contract extension with Real Madrid through 30 June 2010.
Full Name: Jordi Codina Alias: Codina Place of Birth: Barcelona, Spain Date of Birth: 27/04/1982 Position: Goalkeeper Weight: 173 lbs / 79 kg Height: 6’0” / 184 cm Nationality: Spanish
Jordi Codina joined Real Madrid’s youth system in July 2000 after successful periods with the lower categories of Espanyol and Catalonia-based side Damn. In a two-year span he was promoted from the Under-20 squad to Real Madrid C to Real Madrid Castilla, whose goal he defended for five seasons. Codina debuted in Segunda Division in 2005/06 against Sporting Gijón at El Molinón (1-1). He played ten games that year, nine of which he started, but his numbers skyrocketed to 35 appearances in 38 matches for a total of 3,061 minutes the following campaign.
Codina excelled during his last season with Castilla and his performance didn’t go unnoticed by the Sporting Directorship who, at Bernd Schuster’s request, signed the youth teamer to a contract through 2009/10. “This is one of the most important days of my career,” said the keeper after seeing his dream become reality.
