Real Madrid: Ranking the top 7 left-footed players in club history
Real Madrid has been a house to generations of footballing superstars. While some players were blessed with the ability to play equally well with both their feet, some were heavily dependent on one. A recurring theme this season has been some match-winning left-footed golazos from Marco Asensio. Toni Kroos also pulled off an unreal strike with his left foot against Inter Milan in their home game in the Champions League group stages. So did Luka Modric, against Real Sociedad in an excruciating fashion.
As is always the case, these wonder goals kept me thinking about the use of the left foot and how some players in club history who were left-footed have left a permanent mark on the history of this glorious club. And as I always do, to submit to my curiosity, I looked up the archives. What follows is a list of the top seven left-footed players in Real Madrid’s history.
7. Iker Casillas
The first name to kick start this list is that of a club captain and eternal legend who has been called a saint in popular culture by Madridistas. It is obviously, Iker Casillas. He only ends at number 7 on this list because he was a goalkeeper. He was left-footed but he wasn’t generally forced to use his left foot in ways outfield players did. Even then, his legacy with Real Madrid is enough to put him up among the honorable mentions on this list.
Iker Casillas or San Iker as he is called is undoubtedly a modern-day Saint of the game. When talking of Real Madrid’s Goalkeepers, the first name that would pop in anyone’s mind is Casillas. He deservedly won our rankings of the best goalkeepers in club history. Known for his amazing shot-spotting abilities, he is someone who played at all levels of Real Madrid, starting from the junior team.
He achieved over a thousand professional appearances for Los Blancos, was a first-team captain, and has the record for most clean sheets in Champions League as well as for the Spanish National team. He won the Champions League for Real Madrid Castilla at 19 years and four days old to become the youngest goalkeeper to win the competition.
This was followed by an obvious promotion to the senior team and the rest as they say is history. Iker Casillas is Spain’s most decorated keeper. The 2008 World Cup winner went on to win every single competition at the club level with Los Blancos. This included five league titles and three UEFA Champions League among the 18 major titles by his name. An absolute club legend, he left his decorated legacy at Real Madrid when he decided to make a move to Porto on a free transfer in 2015.