Livescore
MARCA sat down with Getafe coach Jose Bardalas to talk about his young star, Mason Greenwood.
The Spanish side took many by surprise last summer when they signed Greenwood on loan from Manchester United until the end of 2023/24 season.
The English forward has hit the ground running in LaLiga EA Sports, having recorded five goals and four assists in 15 games across all competitions.
Greenwood has rediscovered his form in Spain, where he returned to action for the first time since January 2022, when he was suspended by the Red Devils for charges that were dropped earlier this year.
In his interview with MARCA, Bordalas hailed Greenwood’s potential, stressing that the 22-year-old has what it takes to feature for a major European club in the future.
Q: Let’s talk about Greenwood. How far can the Englishman go and do you think he has what it takes to one day play at a big club like Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid?
A: Greenwood is a different player, with a lot of talent but in this soccer, talent is not the main thing. It takes more work than talent. When he is at 100% we will be able to check his real level, but he has conditions to play in any big team.
Q: How has a star like Greenwood fit in a team like Getafe after a year and a half without playing or training?
A: Well, with a lot of patience, with a lot of tranquility, we aware that he had been stopped for a long time without playing and practically without training. But we trusted him because of his talent, because of the level he has had.
To be able to sign a player of this level at Getafe is complicated, almost impossible. And well, given the situation, we bet on him. We are happy and satisfied because we have a great player. He is a good lad and has fit in very well and he only needs to learn a little more Spanish.
Q: How was it possible to sign Greenwood?
A: A friend called me to tell me about the possibility and at first we thought it wasn’t real, but he confirmed that it was. There were conversations, he had other offers to play in Serie A, but there were many clubs that did not dare because of what had happened and so on. In the end with a lot of effort and with difficulty we all managed to get him to come to Getafe.
Q: It is curious that English players have had a hard time succeeding in Spain, but both Bellingham and Greenwood are two of the stars of the current campaign.
A: Yes. Especially Bellingham, who has attracted tremendous attention. He is a great player and is having a fabulous season. We have to be a little more understanding with Mason because it is not easy given the time he has gone without training.
I know of cases of guys I’ve had who quit soccer because they had emotional problems and they never played again because you get disconnected, you lose your place and then it costs you a lot. It is very commendable that after such a long time he has recovered and is helping us.
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