Real Madrid staff amazed by youngster’s transition to first-team football | OneFootball

It goes without saying that Raul Asencio has been one of Real Madrid’s biggest revelations this season.

The 22-year-old has taken to first-team football like duck to water, making the most of the injury-enforced absentees to carve out a place for himself in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup.

Real Madrid astonished by Asencio

Now, MARCA reports that Raul Asencio’s physical response to Real Madrid’s demanding schedule is also astonishing the club.

Beyond the qualities that have helped him establish himself in the first team, his extraordinary physical ability to cope with the demands of top-level football have left the staff amazed.

For any academy player making the leap to Real Madrid’s first team, one of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the competitive intensity, especially in a season packed with fixtures.

A revelation. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Asencio has transitioned from playing one match per week with Castilla to competing every three days for the senior squad.

Between August and November, he played 11 matches in 71 days with Castilla before being permanently promoted. Since January, he has featured in 19 matches in just 65 days for Real Madrid—one game every 3.4 days.

The sudden increase in workload could have been overwhelming, yet Asencio has handled it with remarkable ease. “It is hard to believe he has only been with the first team for a few months,” say those at Valdebebas.

Beyond his physical qualities, Asencio’s mental strength also sets him apart. What is most impressive is his concentration—he is a machine in that regard,” says Dr. Pedro Luis Ripoll, director of the Ripoll y De Prado Clinic and a FIFA Centre of Excellence.

With both elite physical attributes and a strong mentality, Asencio is proving to be much more than just another academy graduate, he is becoming a key piece in Real Madrid’s future.