Real Madrid icon Michel Salgado isn’t someone who springs to mind when it comes to footballing hardmen.
And yet Steve McManaman called Salgado, who turns 49 on Tuesday (October 22), labelled him a ‘psychopath’ on the training ground.
He might be most well known for his time in the Spanish capital, but Salgado has a true connection to England. He traded in the Bernabeu for Blackburn in 2009 for his sole stint in the British game and was fortunate to play alongside several well-known Englishmen during his decade-long spell with Los Blancos.
One of those was McManaman. The pair were both key parts of Madrid’s Champions League triumphs in both 2000 and 2002 and were strong admirers of one another.
After making 364 appearances for Liverpool and scoring 66 goals, McManaman linked up with Madrid’s new boy Salgado in 1999. During his three years in Spain, the Englishman was in awe of Salgado’s aggressive attitude on the pitch not willing to give an inch to any of his opponents.
He was a true fighter, which led to McManaman later describing him as a “psychopath even in training” and “the hardest man in the world”.
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McManaman wasn’t the only English player that Salgado had the pleasure of playing with, the Spanish former right-back was a mainstay at Madrid throughout the first true ‘galactico’ era under president Florentino Perez.
Salgado had a close relationship with David Beckham and once opened up on the fact he had to ‘babysit’ him when he first arrived at the Bernabeu.
The 49-year-old was also present for the short-lived spells of both Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate, with Salgado using his English skills to help translate team talks.
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His love for England and football in this country is clear. In an interview with The Guardian during his time in Madrid, he said: “I find English football really attractive. Everything that goes with it, the culture, the respect with which the players are treated, the atmosphere. If I ever left Real I’d only go to play in England.”
He did eventually make it to the Premier League in 2009 making a total of 73 appearances in a three-year stint at Rovers under the management of Sam Allardyce.