The 22-year-old has surprisingly established himself as first-choice left-back under Santiago Solari. So what do we know about the rookie full-back?
From ‘simpleton’ to Real Madrid star, Sergio Reguilon’s journey has taken even his friends by surprise.
The left-back began the season as an obscure addition from the B team but has ousted the legendary Marcelo and is poised to start against Barcelona in the Clasico Copa semi-final on Wednesday.
“When he arrived we laughed at him because he seemed like a bit of a simpleton,” one of Reguilon’s former team-mates at UD Logrones told Marca.
“Now he sends us boots and tickets, after displacing the best left-back of the last decade.”
Reguilon, 22, establishing himself as an important figure seemed unthinkable at the start of the summer, but a lot has happened since then.
This astonishing rise feels like a fantasy for a boy who grew up supporting Real Madrid.
Regui, as his friends call him, played through every level at La Fabrica – Los Blancos’ youth system – always with his sights set on the first team.
However, failing to break into the Madrid Castilla line-up in 2015, he was loaned to third division side Logrones for a few months, returning there for the 2016-17 campaign where he found his footing.
Upon returning to Madrid he became a key pick for then B-team coach Santiago Solari, playing 30 times and captaining the side on 11 occasions.
That form saw him rewarded with a professional contract in May 2018.
“It’s been a privilege to defend this badge since I was eight years old,” wrote Reguilon on Instagram. “And now I’m proud to belong to the best club in the world for the next few years.”