His debut was against Athletic at San Mamés on 12th September 1999
Javier Garcia
Match day three 1999/2000. Illgner, injured and Bizarri with shoulder strain gave way to the academy player who, at 18 years old, had completed the pre-season with the first team during the summer. The mission was not easy, the stage wasn’t either. He had to defend Real Madrid’s goal in the stronghold that is San Mamés. But Casillas showed an unprecedented level of awareness and assuredness for his age, and had a great performance and laid the foundations for a career full of success and recognition. He is now celebrating his thirteenth anniversary with 630 games behind him and with an enviable track record and a long road ahead.
A lifetime in white. Casillas joined in the academy in 1990 and nine seasons later, 12th September 1999, he landed himself in the first team to stay. Last year, in the twelfth anniversary of his debut, the captain recalled how he lived: "Before travelling to Bilbao, Toshack asked me how I was. I said fine and he said perfect, you’re going to play at San Mamés. I started to get nervous and called my parents to tell them. That night I shared a room with Hierro, but I left him alone so he had peace and quiet. I went from playing the playoff for promotion to the Second Division B to being in San Mamés in front of 50,000 people. It was not easy, but for the first time I did well. I was one of the better players".
At 31 years old, Casillas has played 630 official matches with Real Madrid and there are only Raúl, Sanchís and Santillana ahead of him in the record books. In his 13 years he has won the most prestigious titles. Two Champions League, two Intercontinental Cups, five league titles, one Copa del Rey, one European Super Cups and three Spanish Super Cups is his tally with the club. He has also won the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain.
Apart from his leadership as captain, he has earned the praise and respect of everyone thanks to his agility and reflexes in goal. The wonderful saves in the final minutes of the ninth Champions League title win and the save against Robben in the World Cup in South Africa will always stay etched in the minds of his fans. Also, the Real Madrid’s next destination has been a tough place to go, the Sánchez Pizjuán. There Casillas made two of the best saves that he remembers. An impossible two-handed save against Perotti in 2009 and one against Manu del Moral last year. These actions perpetuate the legend of a goalkeeper who, thirteen years after its debut, is considered the best in the world for the fourth consecutive season.
| ALL OF CASILLAS’ OFFICIAL MATCHES | ||||||||
| Season | Liga | Champions | Copa | Intercontinental* | Sup. Esp. | Sup. Eur. | TOTAL | |
| 1999-00 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 47 | |
| 2000-01 | 34 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 47 | |
| 2001-02 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | |
| 2002-03 | 38 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 55 | |
| 2003-04 | 37 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50 | |
| 2004-05 | 37 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | |
| 2005-06 | 37 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | |
| 2006-07 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | |
| 2007-08 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | |
| 2008-09 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | |
| 2009-10 | 38 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | |
| 2010-11 | 35 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | |
| 2011-12 | 37 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | |
| 2012-13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| TOTAL | 460 | 124 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 630 | |
HONOURS
La Liga: 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2011/12
Spanish Super Cup: 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012
UEFA Champions League: 1999/00, 2001/02
European Super Cup: 2002
InterContinental Cup: 2002
Under-15 European Championship: 1995
Under-17 European Championship: 1997
Under-19 European Championship: 1999
European Championship: 2008, 2012
Bronze Medal, Confederations Cup: 2009
World Cup: 2010
Copa del Rey: 2011
•Adidas Golden Glove: 2010
•IFFHS best Goalkeeper of the Year: 2008, 2009
•FIFA best Goalkeeper of the Year: 2009
•UEFA best Goalkeeper in Europe: 2008, 2009
•L'Equipe best Goalkeeper of the Year: 2009
•Bravo Trophy: 2000
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق