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CD Leganes midfielder Oscar Rodriguez's first La Liga Santander season was a resounding success, and 2019/20 should be even better after his parent club Real Madrid announced they’d be loaning him back to their neighbours for the new season.
2018-19 was a year to remember. Few players in recent memory have made a more instant impact at the top level; Oscar’s very first La Liga goal proved to be the winner as Leganes picked up their first-ever victory over Barcelona last November.
Making it more remarkable was that the opportunistic strike came on his La Liga Santander debut. But it was just the start as the 20-year-old quickly became a regular starter and key player as the suburban Madrid side again punched above their weight to finish comfortably in mid-table.
Born in the Castilian town of Talavera de la Reina in June 1998, Oscar joined Real Madrid as an 11-year-old and quickly impressed at the club’s La Fabrica academy set up. By the age of 16 he was featuring for the club's U-19s in the UEFA Youth League, and by his third season at that level he was starring with four goals in seven games. International observers got another glimpse of his talent with a spectacular long-range strike against Manchester City in Los Angeles during the 2017 International Champions Cup.
Further progress came with six goals and five assists for Real Madrid’s Castilla youth side in Spain’s third tier through the 2017/18 campaign, so much so that Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane handed the youngster a well-deserved first team debut in a Copa del Rey tie against neighbors Fuenlabrada.
With competition fierce at the Bernabeu, the club decided last summer that the best thing for Oscar’s development was to loan him out to local side Leganes, a move that turned out to be an excellent one for all concerned.
Oscar followed up his historic goal against Barcelona with decisive contributions against Valencia and Real Valladolid, as Leganes recovered from a slow start to impressively climb the La Liga Santander table and even dream of a first-ever Europa League qualification at one point.
Often deployed by Pepineros manager Mauricio Pellegrino as a forward-minded central midfielder, Oscar has also featured on the left side of the forward line. While his long-range shooting has stood out from an early age, the now 20-year-old has grown tactically and physically through his first year in La Liga Santander. He already looks to have all the attributes needed to be a top-class central midfielder as his career progresses. He scored four goals and chipped in with another three assists across 31 La Liga Santander games in his debut season, number to match with the very best emerging stars in Spanish or even Eruopean football.
Real Madrid have also been very happy with his progress and still have very high hopes for his future. While it’s no surprise that his loan spell at Leganes will continue for another year, don’t be surprised if he’s a regular at the Bernabeu in the not-too-distant future. For the time being though, Butarque is the perfect place for this true rising star of La Liga.
