Real Madrid starlet Arda Guler played just his second match since joining the club in the summer, as he tries to put a series of injuries behind him. The 18-year-old has shown little sign of being phased, and nor has manager Carlo Ancelotti been afraid of throwing him in.
Guler made his debut last weekend, playing an hour against Arandina in the Copa del Rey, and with the game in the balance, Ancelotti gave him eight minutes in extra time to try and turn things in their favour, with the score locked at 3-3.
“Today was my first cup match. I am very happy that we won against Atletico Madrid. There is a very nice family and friendship atmosphere here in Real Madrid. The opponent doesn’t matter. We are Real Madrid, so we will play to win no matter who we’re against. I hope we can win the Super Cup,” Guler told Tivubu Spor.
“I have been injured for about 5-6 months. I came out of the injury, and our coach Ancelotti includes me in the squad and lets me play. He always expresses his faith and trust in me by talking to me on and off the pitch. Hopefully, if I continue like this, everything will be better.”
The Italian manager had admitted that Guler was struggling with not being able to play during the autumn, but now that he is back on the pitch, Guler’s smile was evident.
“I’m at the very beginning of my dream. I’m not playing much right now, but we’re doing incredible. We’re playing at the top in every competition. This is Real Madrid, we have a great squad with a good quality. I hope I can continue to be part of it.”
💬 "Çok mutluyum, burada çok güzel aile ve arkadaşlık ortamım var."
💬"5-6 aydır sakattım, hocamız hemen kadroya aldı. Güvenini her zaman ifade ediyor. İnşallah her şey daha iyi olacak."
💬"Türkiye'den çok büyük bir destek var, herkesten çok teşekkür ederim."
💬"Rakip fark… pic.twitter.com/XrJxSCutY7
— Tivibu Spor (@tivibuspor) January 10, 2024
Guler is tipped to have a long and fruitful future at the Santiago Bernabeu, hence there has been little desire to precipitate things with the ex-Fenerbahce teenager. However from his point of view, he will want to reach the end of the season fit and firing, with the Euros just around the bend.
“I miss playing for the Turkey National Team very much. There is a new generation, we have a new manager [Vincenzo Montella]. I hope everything will be much better in EUROs. We can do serious work there.”
