Real Madrid did not believe Marvin Park was Spanish until they saw his ID

He has been at the centre of Real Madrid news this week following his first ever start for the club in Tuesday night’s La Liga win over Getafe.

Now, Marca have uncovered more anecdotes on midfielder Marvin Park, who is the son of a Nigerian father and a South Korean mother.

Akeem Olawale and Hye Sook Park met in Germany and settled in Mallorca, where Marvin – who initially did not want to go to football training as a five-year-old but did alongside his older brothers – initially starred in youth teams.

He continued playing football during three years in England as he signed up with Tranmere Rovers, but his family later returned to Spain and by the time he was 16, he was signed by Real Madrid.

The report details how Marvin is extremely shy and for a long time was very homesick and would call his parents – who worked in a Mallorca hotel – every night, while Madrid did not believe he was Spanish, due to his background, until he showed them his DNI (a Spanish citizenship card).

Now aged 20, Marvin looks set to be a permanent fixture of Madrid’s first-team squad.

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La Liga - Club News