If you asked Lucas Vázquez whether he would go back in time and leave Real Madrid last season instead of this one, he would say no. Why? Because that's just who he is. It may sound negative, but it isn't. This is a player who bleeds Real Madrid, who will fight tooth and nail regardless of the criticisms that come his way and who will give 100% every single time.
His final season at Real Madrid is one to forget as he struggled in the game no matter when it was or who it was against. He was never meant to be a starting right-back, he was never even meant to be a right-back. Until the 2020/2021 season, Vázquez was a winger until his skills showed that he has what it takes to be a backup to Dani Carvajal, a role that he performed well overall.
However, with Carvajal's ACL injury earlier in the season and the lack of right-backs in the team, it was Vazquez who became the starter and through that, we saw numerous gaps.
Lucas Vázquez exit marks painful end-of-era moment at Real Madrid
Few will forget the scene of him spinning the ball on his finger before taking and scoring a penalty in the 2015/2016 UEFA Champions League Final.
That alone embodies everything that he was and everything that he is. Earning the nickname "Cafuquez", a homage to the great Brazilian right-back Cafu, Vázquez took it all in his stride and not once did we see him speak negatively about the team or the squad.
Whenever he was needed, he was there. When he wasn't, he was still there ensuring to cheer the team on and help in whatever way he could. Recency bias will have you celebrating his departure from the team but that's unfair to a person who can be considered a club legend.
With ten years at the club, Lucas Vázquez joined in 2015 after a loan spell at Espanyol. With 400 official matches played at the club and being in Castilla since 2007, he is a success story at this club with over 18 years of being associated with it.
If that isn’t enough, the 23 trophies he won at the club including five UEFA Champions League trophies and four La Liga championships, should be more than enough.
Lucas Vázquez should leave Real Madrid with his head held high and even though every single fan is entitled to their own opinions, he does not deserve a lack of appreciation if not a lack of love as well. He has always been one of us and there was not a single moment where he didn't show his love for the club, whether on the pitch or on the bench.
We have an opportunity to watch him one last time in a Real Madrid shirt during the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup and it truly is an opportunity. Just because recency bias has made many change their opinions of him, one thing truly cannot be forgotten: we are saying goodbye to a club legend.
There are different tiers when we say "legend" here. Lucas Vázquez may not be a footballing legend but at the club, he should be held in high regard. With over 400 games played by the time he officially says his goodbyes, no one can deny that he's a legend of the club itself.
Thank you, Lucas Vázquez, for showing us that dreams come true. Thank you for always giving everything on the pitch. Thank you for never turning your back on the team or the fans despite the criticisms that were directed towards you. And lastly, thank you for not only treating the club's fans with respect, but the club itself as well.
Thank you and goodbye, Lucas Vázquez. You will always be remembered fondly.