Real Madrid's top 5 underrated players in recent history
Real Madrid are one of the oldest, most decorated and highly successful clubs in football history. Young players across the globe dream of wearing their famed white jerseys and playing for Los Blancos.
Over the years, greats such as Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Raul Gonzalez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos have scaled great heights playing for Real Madrid. With some of the best players in the world playing for them, Madrid have been dominant in Spanish and European competitions.
They have won a record 34 La Liga and 13 UEFA Champions League titles. Real Madrid recently completed a historic three-peat in the Champions League in 2018. Former player Zinedine Zidane was their manager at the time, and had an incredible record at their helm.
On this day in 2016, Real Madrid made Zinedine Zidane their manager:
▪️ 11 trophies in two spells
▪️ 157 wins in 234 games
▪️ 100% winning record in finals
▪️ Only manager to win a UCL three-peat
🥂 https://t.co/Q72VFmaQw6
Most of Real Madrid's success and their superstar players have been well-documented. Such is the aura of the club that their best players eventually become icons and celebrities. However, with the spotlight on these star players, others who contribute just as much are sometimes overlooked.
On that note, here's a look at the five most underrated players in Real Madrid's recent history:
#5 Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas was born in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, in 1986. He came through the youth ranks at Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, and made his senior debut for them in 2005. Real Madrid triggered Navas' €10 million buy-out clause in 2014, signing him from Levante.
Navas made 162 appearances for Los Blancos, keeping 52 clean sheets and conceding 159 goals. He isn't the tallest of shot-stoppers, but makes up for that with his superb reflexes and positioning. Navas is one of the most athletic and agile goalkeepers in world football.
With Real Madrid, he won one La Liga title, four FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Champions League titles, among other honours. He was named the UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season in 2017-18 for his cup-winning exploits.
🏆 2017/18 #UCL Goalkeeper of the Season!
⭐️ Keylor Navas 👏👏👏
#UEFAawards #UCLdraw https://t.co/E8frJQmQSJ
Navas set an incredible record for Real Madrid in his first eight Champions League appearances. He did not concede a single goal in those games across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.
The Costa Rican has also made 100 appearances for his country, keeping 35 clean sheets. He currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France, and will hope to help them win silverware this season.
#4 Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1989. He came through the ranks at Southampton's reputed academy before making his senior debut for the Saints in 2006. He rose to prominence with Tottenham Hotspur, and was signed by Real Madrid for a then world-record fee of £85.1 million in 2013.
The Welshman has made 255 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 106 goals and dishing out 77 assists. He started out as a left-back, but transitioned into a left winger. Bale is known for his pace, acceleration, stamina, ball control and technique.
He combined all of these qualities to help Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey title in 2014 against arch-rivals Barcelona.
You can watch Bale's goal here:
📅 On This Day: Seven years ago today, Real Madrid announced the signing of Gareth Bale for a world record fee.
An absolute machine on his day, this goal in the Copa Del Ray final against Barca was just ridiculous. 😳
📹- @realmadriden
https://t.co/trvC2G3klz
With Madrid, Bale has won several trophies. That includes two La Liga, one Copa del Rey and four UEFA Champions League titles, among others.
Gareth Bale has also represented Wales 100 times, scoring 36 goals. He is their all-time top scorer, and ranks second in all-time appearances, just six shy of Chris Gunter's record. Bale has been named the Welsh Footballer of the Year an impressive six times.
The Welshman still plays for Real Madrid, having returned from a short loan spell with Spurs. He will hope to find top form as the club enter a crucial period of the season.