Juan Mata Among Top 5 Players You Didn’t Know Were Real Madrid Academy Graduates

• Real Madrid is recognised for having one of the top junior academies in Europe
• Some surprising football names came through the Spanish giants' youth ranks
• Sports Brief has named five top players who came through the club's academy

Reigning European champions, Real Madrid haven't always relied on youth.

But in recent years, with the addition of the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo de Goes, they have pinned their hopes on the stars of tomorrow.

According to Bleacher Report, Los Blancos are one of the most successful clubs in Europe and have produced some serious talent over the years, from Raul Gonzalez to Iker Casillas.

However, only a select few Canteranos actually make it into the Real Madrid first team, and that is often after being sold and bought back by the La Liga titans.

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A number of players have been sold and had successful careers elsewhere, but it is often forgotten that they were once a product of the European club's famous academy system.

Sports Brief looks at five players it is hard to believe came through the Real Madrid youth ranks.

Juan Mata

Although Mata was thrown into the spotlight at Valencia, Real Madrid was the first to see his potential back in 2003.

The Spanish midfielder played 39 times for Castilla during the 2006-2007 season, tallying nine goals.

In a 2009 audio recording obtained by El Confidencial, via Manchester Evening News, Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez is heard criticising former agent, Michel and blaming him for allowing Mata to fall through the cracks at their academy.

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Perez claimed: “I think Michel is the one who made the hole for Mata [to leave]; he is the one who threw him out of Real Madrid Castilla to put his son in the team.”

Saul Niguez

Although Saul played his whole professional football career for neighbourhood rivals, Atletico Madrid, he actually began playing football at Real Madrid Youth team.

The Spanish midfielder is back at Atleti this season after spending the previous campaign on loan with Chelsea, the BBC has reported.

Niguez has featured 356 times for Atletico Madrid since being promoted to the first team in 2011–12.

Dani Parejo

Real Madrid legend, Alfredo Di Stefano once described a teenage Parejo as 'the best talent in La Fabrica (Madrid’s academy), a terrific player, a phenomenon' - that was always going to be tough to live up to.

Parejo only made five appearances before he was transferred to Getafe in 2009. With more than 600 games in his career, the 33-year-old has still had an outstanding career in Spain.

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Pablo Sarabia

Sarabia spent seven years with Real Madrid but only made one first-team appearance. He did rack up 49 appearances for Castilla, but he couldn’t quite make the cut for their starting side.

The winger told Goal in 2016, via ESPN: “Fielding youth players is something that Real Madrid needs. Madrid doesn’t benefit or harm you. I thank Real Madrid because I spent a long time there, but that’s in the past now."

Sarabia also commented that for him, football only required worrying about the present.

“I only believe in working hard every day - it’s the only thing that matters; not where you train.”

Juanfran

The Spanish defender racked up over 350 appearances for Atletico, but he actually started out with local rivals, Real Madrid. Juanfran progressed through their youth ranks and made his first-team debut in January 2004.

He went on to make 11 first-team appearances before leaving the club in 2005 to join Espanyol. On January 11, 2011, he signed for Atlético Madrid until June 2015 for a fee of just over €4 million.

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In 2016 Champions League final, which was also decided on penalties after a 1–1 draw in Milan, Juanfran was the only player to fail to convert in an eventual defeat to his former club.

Madrid player denies transfer rumours

Sports Brief also reported on Real Madrid's Marco Asensio denying he considered joining Barcelona as a free agent in the summer window.

La Blaugrana were said to have joined Arsenal and AC Milan in their interest for the 27-year-old, whose current deal is set to come to an end.