Nakai Takuto: Hopes to Return to Real Madrid for a First-Team Debut; Spotted Bellingham’s Potential Early On

In an interview with the Spanish media outlet Relevo, Real Madrid loanee Nakai Takuto expressed his hope to return to Real Madrid and make his first-team debut. Additionally, Nakai revealed that he had met Bellingham in the youth teams and felt back then that he could become a great player.

Nakai disclosed that when he initially went for a trial at Real Madrid, his mother deliberately kept the identity of the club a secret, “If it were Real Madrid, she thought I would get nervous. She just told me it was an opportunity to enjoy football. Then two weeks later, they suddenly told me I had become a Real Madrid player. Becoming a player for such a prestigious club gives one tremendous confidence.” Nakai began playing football formally at the age of three, but there had been football in the family for a long time because two of his three older brothers played.

Nakai stated that all of Real Madrid’s facilities are the best in the world, “In Japan, we didn’t even have a locker room. We would change into our gear and go straight to training, but Real Madrid has the best facilities in the world. Although I don’t speak Spanish, my teammates gave me a lot of help. The first two years here were very difficult, as we had to learn Spanish at any moment, including in the locker room, but the way Spanish is used in school and games is different, so it took a long time to adapt.”

Nakai revealed that he was able to quickly integrate into Spanish football because he remained consistent on and off the field and never paid attention to off-field news, “I never read the news. I just want to prove myself on the pitch. I am still the same person who came to Spain. So, by focusing only on my own things, I never felt pressure. Of course, everyone’s attention also gave me strength.”

Nakai shared that throughout his football career, his mother and the coaches he encountered provided significant support, “My mother has lived with me since I was ten years old. Later, the agent I met has always helped me, and all the coaches and teammates I’ve encountered have given me a lot of help.”

Nakai said that his favorite position is winger, and as for why he couldn’t establish himself in Real Madrid’s B team, it was due to the abundance of excellent players, “Our team won most of the games. When the team is running well, it’s unlikely to change the starting lineup. In my position, Alaba, Dotor, Theo, and others are all very good players, so I can only respect the coach’s decision.” However, Nakai stressed that he would not give up and would continue working hard to achieve his dreams.

Due to lack of playing time in Real Madrid’s B team, Nakai was loaned out consecutively. Although Nakai did not want to leave Real Madrid, “I still have two years left on my contract, but the team I’m going to is also very good, and I can learn a lot. This decision was made jointly by my agent, the club, and myself, believing it to be a good choice. My current biggest goal is to participate in as many games as possible and figure out how to help the team.”

Nakai firmly believes that he can return to Real Madrid and succeed, “The best scenario would be to return to Madrid and make my first-team debut for Real Madrid. I will continue to work hard to achieve this goal.”

Nakai once met Bellingham while playing for the Japanese U15 team, “Yes, he wore the No. 8 jersey for England U15 at the time. Every touch and pass of his was different. Although my English wasn’t good, I still chatted with him after the game. At that time, I saw that he could become a great player.”