For a young player, the best thing during the early stages of their career is to gain the recognition of a veteran player, their stamp of approval, and their belief that they will become a great player in the future.
And for Real Madrid, they have their newest youngster, who looks on course to be the next big thing at the Bernabeu, and that is Gonzalo Garcia. The 21-year-old academy product burst onto the scene during the Club World Cup this past summer, his perfect hat-trick in the 5-1 victory over Real Betis was the confirmation for fans that he is the real deal.
And for Gonzalo, he doesn't just have the backing from the fans, former Los Blancos players are fully behind the young striker, with one fan favorite striker full of nothing but praise for the star, and his words are music to fans' ears.
Gonzalo Garcia just got a stamp of approval that all Real Madrid fans will love
While speaking with AS, former Real Madrid striker Joselu was full of nothing but praise for Gonzalo Garcia, detailing what he noticed during training sessions and why he is not at all surprised by the success the youngster is having. Joselu went on to say:
"I said it back then – when he was training with us, you could see that his greatest strength as a striker was his nose for goal.Joselu
What I like most about him is his love for Real Madrid. At the end of the day, he’s a player who feels the colours, and that shows in every game he plays.
He gives his all for the badge. Ever since he came up to work with us, you could see that he’s a guy with a lot of qualities and an impressive nose for goal.
Ultimately, to succeed at Real Madrid, apart from having footballing qualities, you have to feel it, and I think Gonzalo is a guy who, from the moment I saw him working with us, showed flashes of brilliance in training.
I’m not surprised at all, I’m very happy for everything he’s achieving and for his success at the club."
These comments from Joselu are the kind of stamp of approval all fans will love and the type of comments that could solidify Gonzalo as a star for Madrid for years and years to come. Joselu would know what he's talking about, as he and Gonzalo are actually quite similar players.
Joselu was a product of the youth academy himself, and when he was finally given his opportunity at Los Blancos, he took it and didn't look back, just as Gonzalo has done.
Real Madrid had been in desperate need of a natural number nine since Joselu's departure and they have finally found the solution in Gonzalo. The 21-year-old could be the final missing piece to creating a perfectly balanced attack, where all three work in tandem and lead the club to incredible amounts of success in the near future.