Real Madrid starlet played for Castilla hours after learning about his grandmother’s death

Real Madrid starlet played for Castilla hours after learning about his grandmother’s death According to AS , Real Madrid youngster Joan Martinez played for Castilla on Friday night with a heavy heart after learning the news of his grandmother’s passing. Before Real Madrid Castilla’s match against Ibiza yesterday, the young centre-back received devastating news: his grandmother, Matilde, had passed away. The Merengues’ academy product, however, chose not to share the news publicly, keeping his grief to himself and taking to the pitch without speaking about his loss. Instead, he played through the grief in what was the toughest match of his life so far, in an act of love, strength and respect for someone who meant so much throughout his life. A private tribute to his grandmother As per the report, Martinez wanted the match to serve as an intimate tribute to the person who had been by his side since he first began playing football in his hometown of Alginet, where his family home is based. Joan Martinez played through grief against Ibiza. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images) Born on 20 August 2007, he had grown up with her support from his earliest days in the game. Rather than look for excuses or comfort, he chose commitment. Not simply out of a sense of duty to the club, which would have understood his absence, but also out of a personal desire to honour his grandmother and make her proud once more. The match ended 1-1, earning Castilla a valuable point against one of the division’s leading sides. It was a difficult game against a difficult opponent in the most difficult of circumstances but Martinez chose to keep fighting. Martínez continues to work despite an inconsistent season The young defender has been doing exactly that throughout the campaign, despite experiencing an unusual situation of his own. Martinez remains highly rated at Real Madrid. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images) After being an undisputed starter last season and regularly featuring under Jose Mourinho with the first team during pre-season , including starting in friendlies against Fiorentina and Ferencvaros, Martinez has endured a more intermittent campaign with Castilla. The issue has not been his performances, but his playing time. He has become the third-choice centre-back in terms of minutes played, behind Oscar Naasei and Mario Rivas. But this has not caused Martinez to lower his standards. If anything, he has continued to produce impressive numbers. He leads the team in several defensive and passing metrics, averaging 1.77 defensive duels won per 90 minutes, 6.2 interceptions, 10.33 recoveries and 53.41 successful passes.