Real Madrid and English Championship side Leeds United made the official announcement on Thursday that goalkeeper Kiko Casilla will move from Spain to England. Here is why this is a smart move from everyone involved.
From 2015 until today, Kiko Casilla has been the man behind the curtain. He has been one of the most loved Madrid players who was never a star. Popular amongst players, coaches, and fans, the goalkeeper was the ‘Rudy’ of Real Madrid.
When he played, everyone was excited. When he made a save, the Santiago Bernabéu would erupt. You could tell how much each moment on the pitch with Real Madrid meant to the now 32-year-old shot-stopper.
Now, after making just 25 league appearances over three and a half seasons, Kiko is moving on from La Liga and heading to the EFL Championship.
A few days ago, both Real Madrid and Leeds United made the move official via the club’s social media accounts.
From one football family to another 👏 @realmadrid say goodbye to Kiko as the #LUFC family welcomes our new goalkeeper pic.twitter.com/AfRKK06kU9
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 18, 2019
It was clear from the reaction of all the Madrid players that they were saddened to hear of Kiko’s departure, but wished him all the best moving forward. The video tribute put out by the club and the jersey awarded to the goalkeeper by captain Sergio Ramos all reflect that.
Leeds is in the hunt for a promotion spot in the Premier League and Casilla could go from being a bench-dweller at one club, to the face of promotion and a hero at another. That is why this is such a good move for both parties.
Casilla totaled 43 total starts in his Real Madrid career as he sat patiently behind Keylor Navas and provided moral support, however, when he did feature, he would perform well.
In addition, he has one of the best pictures in Real Madrid history from the Champions League final against Juventus.
Today, Casilla made his Leeds debut for the under-23 team against Southampton and performed valiantly in the 3-2 win. While it isn’t the best showing, keep in mind the goalkeeper has not played in a competitive match in several months.
Casilla has had a roller coaster of a career, but Leeds United could be the final club he needs to cap off what has been an impressive career. If the Spaniard can navigate the murky waters of the EFL Championship, he could very well play in England’s top league this fall.
Whatever ends up happening, we here at The Real Champs want to wish Kiko Casilla nothing but the best moving forward and thank you for your years of dedication and support to Real Madrid!