Vinicius tipped to beat Bellingham, Mbappe to the Ballon d’Or by former striker | OneFootball

Emmanuel Adebayor is widely regarded as one of the most eccentric footballers of the past decade.

A striker by trade, Adebayor, during his two-decade-long career, played for clubs like Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Monaco and Crystal Palace, among others.

One of Adebayor’s fondest spells, though, came at Real Madrid. At least that is what the player claimed in a recent interview with MARCA.

Adebayor on his time at Real Madrid

“I love Madrid and I think it is reciprocal. Madrid will be in my heart forever. I was happy and enjoyed my time at Real Madrid a lot,” Adebayor proclaimed.

The former striker played for Real Madrid between January 2011 to July 2011. He was brought in by Jose Mourinho to add more substance to the Los Blancos frontline.

Adebayor heaped praise on Mourinho, proclaiming the Portuguese tactician as the best manager he ever worked with.

“Mourinho is the best coach I have ever played for, I would do anything to protect his name. He is a wonderful person and a great coach. When he chooses you, he will go to war with you and that’s what I like about him,” he said.

Talking about his short spell at Real Madrid, Adebayor relieved some of his best moments at Santiago Bernabeu, including working with multiple stars at the time.

“Real Madrid always had great players – Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Di Maria, Benzema. I learned many things from them and they also from me,” said Adebayor, who even expressed his desire to return to Santiago Bernabeu.

Adebayor looks back at his time at Real Madrid (Photo by DANI POZO/AFP via Getty Images)

“I had some incredible moments in Madrid, with great players and a very good atmosphere. It would be a pleasure for me to return to Madrid,” he said.

Adebayor on current Real Madrid setup

After he was done reminiscing about his past spell at Real Madrid, Adebayor offered his thoughts on the current setup and how they reached the UCL final.

“When you arrive at Real Madrid you realize what it is. You feel it. Nobody thought they would eliminate Manchester City and they did, Bayern Munich too,” he said.

The former Tottenham striker was asked about Kylian Mbappe and his potential move to Real Madrid this summer.

Adebayor backed the Frenchman to succeed at Santiago Bernabeu, but hinted that he would have liked him to move to the Premier League, stating,

“Kylian is a world-class player. He has proven it by winning the World Cup and many other titles with PSG, playing brutal football in the Champions League.”

“Everyone knows that the Premier League is the best league in the world. I have had the opportunity to play in La Liga. I can give him advice, but the decision is his, all football lovers wish him the best of luck, wherever he goes he has to show his football,” he said.

Adebayor on Ballon d’Or

Adebayor went on to offer his thoughts on the Ballon d’Or title and who may win the prestigious trophy between Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius.

To one’s surprise, the former Real Madrid striker backed Vinicius to win the Ballon d’Or title, ahead of both Bellingham and Mbappe.

“I love Mbappé. I am very close to the family, but what Vinicius is doing now is simply incredible. Jude Bellingham did it for several months, but now Vinicius,” he said.

“If you ask me today I would tell you that I am going with Vinicius. His mentality of never giving up regardless of the situation, continuing to fight for the result, that’s what he’s been doing for several years,” he added.