The Real Madrid team underwent a significant change during the last summer, as several new players joined during the summer transfer window and some of their previous players ended up leaving the club.

The most notable name to have departed the Merengue team during this last summer was inarguably the fullback Dani Carvajal, who left the club after having spent almost all of his career in the white shirt.

After spending a summer full of uncertainty, he ended up joining another Madrid club, Getafe. However, at his heart, he still remains a Madridista, which is quite clear from his recent interview with Diario AS. The defender revealed that he still sometimes drives towards Real Madrid facilities by habit:

“There are days when, out of habit, I almost take the wrong exit in the car after dropping the kids off at school and head towards Valdebebas (laughs). I had an incredible farewell, one of the best experiences of my life.

Going out into the street and feeling the warmth of Madrid fans thanking me for everything I’ve done and asking me to return in the future means more to me than anything else, even the trophies. Knowing that the fans are proud of how much I’ve given is the greatest feeling. Now, at Getafe, I’m treating it as a challenge, and I’m really excited about playing.”

The Spaniard expressed his happiness on seeing his team winning the last El Clasico:

“I was nervous. I thought it was a fantastic match. Both teams played very well, but especially Madrid, who never backed down from the contest at any point. Madrid made a real statement. It feels different watching from the outside, but I watched it wearing my Madrid shirt.”

Carvajal praised his former teammate Federico Valverde for playing so well as a fullback:

“He’s very versatile. With his physical attributes, he flies up and down the pitch, he has a great shot and covers a lot of ground. He’s doing really well.”

The former Real Madrid fullback identified some of his most memorable days with Los Blancos:

“The day of my presentation, without a doubt. The day of La Décima, which marked the beginning of a golden era lasting 12 years, with a very young group that included academy graduates such as Nacho, Morata and Joselu himself. And I’d also choose the day of my farewell.”

The Spaniard also named Carlo Ancelotti as the manager he has felt most comfortable with:

“I’ve had many great ones. I remember little things about each of them, but the manager I’ve spent the most time with and achieved the most success under is Carlo. He’s almost like a second father to me. Things were different during his second spell because I was one of the captains. He’d watched me grow, so I’d choose Carlo.”

Carvajal also recalled the great comeback wins experienced by his team in their recent Champions League triumphs:

“I’d pay a lot of money to experience something like that again, honestly. You really can’t imagine it… The atmosphere created during those Champions League matches is indescribable. One key moment for me is when the announcement comes over the loudspeaker saying, ‘Six minutes of added time’, and the stadium transforms.

We’ve all been incredibly fortunate to experience that. In the semi-final against Bayern, Asensio got just the slightest touch on the ball to send it through cleanly to Rodrygo. Courtois made some incredible saves, we were right on the limit, and then suddenly we scored that goal and everything changed.”

The fullback also praised his former teammate Vinicius Junior and was sure he would return to his best form soon:

“He’s a fantastic person. He brings an incredible amount of joy to the dressing room. He’s also never hesitated to take responsibility for the team, demanding the ball when matches became more difficult, and that’s something worth appreciating. He’s a player who never hides.

I think that, objectively, things aren’t particularly pleasant for Vini right now, what with his sending-off the other day and all the doubts about whether he should play or not. But Vini has bounced back from even more difficult situations. He needs to stay calm. He’s just signed a new contract, he has years ahead of him, and he’s a spectacular player. We’ll soon see that unstoppable Vini back again.”

Real Madrid will definitely miss a player like Dani Carvajal as they go into their first season without the Spanish fullback. However, the fans will be hoping he enjoys a lot of success in his new adventure and continues to play at the level they are accustomed to see him play at for the remaining years of his career as a player.