1. Guti
When talked of underrated players for Real Madrid, there probably is no other name that would recur more than Guti. Guti played at every level of the club before he started for the first team. He was an absolute delight to watch when on the ball. His vision was unparalleled and it is no surprise that Real Madrid hasn’t found a midfielder with similar abilities and playing style yet, Mesut Ozil may be a close comparison.
The biggest reason for Guti to go underrated was because he played in the ‘Galacticos’ era alongside bigger names like Raul, Zidane, Beckham, Figo, and others. His genius was often overshadowed by their grandeur.
Guti was also used according to time’s demands. He wasn’t a player who complained much. He rather was adaptive and an absolute club servant who would step up as per need. When Los Blancos were without a striker due to injuries, he played CF and scored 14 valuable goals that helped them secure their 28th La Liga title in the 2000-01 season. Due to such changes in his playing style, his career remained largely inconsistent. At times he was required to be the playmaker for the side at other times scoring goals was made his task!
He played in 24 seasons for the club in a total of 542 appearances. His extraordinary passes, dribbling skills, and undying love and loyalty to the Royal White outfit are still afresh in Madridista minds. But, he would still go in as the most underrated player in the club’s history. The star-studded team that he played in just didn’t let him grab the accolades that he so truly deserved.
He remains one of the inspirations for the youths at lower level Real Madrid sides who dream of starting for the first team someday. He achieved the distinction of winning 14 titles in Madrid colors and also become a first-team captain.