2) Raul
Had Atletico Madrid not met with financial troubles and not closed their academy, Raul Gonzalez may have gone on to become a bonafide Rojiblanco legend. Instead, he moved across the city’s divide to play for the Real youth team where he swiftly progressed through the ranks.
Even at 17, he was no pushover. As Jorge Valdano considered promoting Raul, who was tearing up the youth circuit and breaking records, Raul himself told him: “If you want to win, play me. If not, put someone else in.”
And so in October 1994, a 17-year-old Raul made his debut for Real Madrid, grabbing an assist in his first game. In the next game, he scored his first senior goal – made even more memorable because it was in the derby against his former club Atletico.
Once he started scoring goals, he never stopped. By the time he turned 20, he had already scored 58 goals for the club in all competitions. The forward wearing no.7 became a permanent fixture, hastening Emilio Butragueno’s exit before sealing his place in the side in spite of Galactico signings soon after.
By the end of his career at the Bernabeu, Raul made close to 750 appearances, scored 323 goals and won 16 trophies.
