Real Madrid youth prodigy set for more opportunities in pre-season after impressing Mourinho

Real Madrid youth prodigy set for more opportunities in pre-season after impressing Mourinho Alexis Ciria is quickly becoming one of the standout young players of Real Madrid’s pre-season, with Jose Mourinho increasingly satisfied by the academy prospect’s performances. Ciria has performed very well for the senior team during pre-season, with the youngster scoring against Fiorentina. He later registered an assist against Ferencvaros, making a strong case for further opportunities as Mourinho continues to evaluate his squad. Those contributions have shown that Ciria is not simply making up the numbers during pre-season. He has looked capable of influencing matches when given the chance. Mourinho impressed by his personality Mourinho is impressed by Ciria. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) According to Alvaro Esteban , the Portuguese coach likes what he has seen from Ciria so far and could continue giving him minutes during the remainder of pre-season. What appears to be standing out most is Ciria’s fearlessness. The academy player has shown real personality on the ball, attacking defenders with confidence and trying difficult actions without hesitation. His rabona against Ferencvaros was another example of that audacity, echoing a similar moment from his Juvenil A debut. For a young player trying to catch Mourinho’s attention, that kind of personality matters. The Portuguese coach has always valued players who are brave enough to take responsibility, and Ciria is showing that he is not intimidated by the step up to first-team football. More pre-season opportunities likely Ciria will have more opportunities to prove himself to Mourinho. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images) With Real Madrid still working through their pre-season schedule, Ciria could now receive more minutes to strengthen his case. There is still a long way to go before he can be considered part of the first-team rotation, but the early signs are encouraging. A goal and an assist are not everything in football, but what matters is that Mourinho seems to be impressed by the player. If Ciria keeps combining that confidence with end product, he may emerge as one of the biggest academy winners of Madrid’s pre-season. Of course, consistency is the important factor that generally differentiates talented youngsters from players ready for the first team, and Ciria must be careful not to let his level drop. It remains to be seen whether the 18-year-old gets more opportunities in the first team under Jose in the upcoming season.