How Florentino Perez ‘Swept’ Antonio Rudiger off His Feet With a 2016 Gesture to Join Real Madrid

• Antonio Rudiger has opened up on what motivated him to join Real Madrid
• He has become a mainstay in Ancelotti's side since his move last summer, making 42 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos
• The 30-year-old has established himself as one of the best central defenders in Europe in recent times

Antonio Rudiger has shed light on how Real Madrid president Florentino Perez convinced him to join the Spanish side with a heartwarming gesture seven years ago.

Taking a trip down memory lane, the 30-year-old recounted how an injury setback proved to be the catalyst to a dream move to the Spanish capital.

What happened?

Rudiger suffered an ACL injury in 2016 while at Italian Serie A outfit AS Roma. But while he was recuperating from the injury setback, the unthinkable unfolded right before his eyes when he received a surprise letter from Perez wishing him a speedy recovery.

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"I received the letter in 2016 and still have it in front of me every day. He wished me a speedy recovery" Rudiger recounted via Tribuna.

The heartwarming gesture by the astute football administrator startled the former Chelsea centre-half, leaving him convinced he will don the all-white outfit of Los Blancos in the future.

"I couldn’t believe it. I said I will one day arrive there.

He added the letter has become memorabilia and is still in the possession of his mum.

"I still have the letter, my mother has it kept."

Rudiger will miss out on Euro 2016 due to the injury. Nonetheless, he will earn a move to Chelsea in 2017, establishing himself as a stalwart with the Blues while becoming a fan favourite during his five-year stint before finally completing the dream move to Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer.

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Rudiger at Real Madrid

After his initial blues following his free transfer, Rudiger has become one of Ancelotti's key players, playing a total of 3168 minutes across all competitions, per Transfermarkt. He already has the UEFA Super Cup in his trophy cabinet since joining Madrid and will be looking forward to winning the Champions League this season.

How Rudiger deals with pressure

Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger has opened up on how he deals with pressure at Real Madrid, Sports Brief reported

The hard-tackling central defender swapped Chelsea for Madrid last summer, and despite struggling to secure a permanent berth in Carlo Ancelotti's lineup at the start of the season, he has grown in leaps and bounds.

When quizzed on how he has managed to deal with the ever-demanding nature of the club's fanbase, the 30-year-old suggested he devised a mechanism that helps him.