Mallorca midfielder Omar Mascarell is preparing to face his former club Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, the team with which he made his top-flight debut under Jose Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu more than a decade ago.
But it is another football club that he still credits for helping him develop into the player he is today, someone who won the Cup in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt and experienced the Champions League with Schalke. That club is Derby County.
It was there, as a youngster caught in the mud and nettles of the Championship, that Mascarell was forced to grow up quickly. And football was the least of his problems. “I remember it was dark at four o'clock in the afternoon,” he told Sky Sports.
“I'm in Mallorca now and it's 18 degrees and sunny in January, but I'm originally from the Canary Islands and the weather there is even better than here in Mallorca. So for me it was a big difference. I was very young, all alone and I didn't speak English.”
The signing of Mascarell, on loan from Real Madrid, caused a stir during Steve McClaren's Derby in 2014. It went well. They were level on points at the top of the table when he was injured in March, but collapsed in his absence to finish eighth.
He still has fond memories of it. “I was lucky that I joined a very good club. They placed me with a teacher from the first moment to learn English as quickly as possible. I also had very good teammates who helped a lot.” One in particular stands out to Mascarell.
“Jeff Hendrick,” he says with a smile. “He was always there for me, even when I didn't speak English. He took me to his house and tried to help me improve every day. Truly, he is a great person. I remember him with a big heart. I I'm still in touch sometimes.”
He adds: “We played together in the middle and I learned a lot. I was at Real Madrid, where everything was with the ball, more tactical. When I arrived in England it was so physical. The ball went into the one way and then the other was a lot faster.
“It had a big impact on me. I've improved as a player and as a person. I always think maybe one day I should go back and revive the memories, you know. But I definitely grew up a lot with that kind of thing. season and I was a better player when I went to Germany.”
Mascarell had many great moments in the Bundesliga, including the 2018 cup final victory over leaders Bayern Munich. “That was great and my level was very high.” At Schalke he was part of a 4-2 win over rivals Borussia Dortmund. “We had a great team.”
But this next chapter in Mallorca may be even more surprising. They qualified for the Spanish Super Cup by reaching last season's cup final and losing to Athletic Bilbao, but that run was no miracle, as it turns out. Mallorca is doing even better this time.
Under new coach Jagoba Arrasate, who did so well at Osasuna, they are in sixth place in LaLiga this season, a big improvement from last season's fifteenth place. “It's a great season we're having. I think we're growing as a club,” Mascarell explained.
“Last season in the league was not good. We saved the season by reaching the final. But this season everything changed from the beginning. We started winning games. I think the players feel free and the change [of coach] was good for everyone.
“He changed the system. Last season we always played with five in defense. At the moment we play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. It's a small difference, but it gives us more freedom and makes it possible. We have to be a bit more attacking. The season is long, but we are positive.”
While the changes in Mallorca have been subtle, the transformation in Mascarell's life and career has been on an international level. The former Spanish youth international is eligible to play for Equatorial Guinea through his grandfather. In June he finally took that step.
“I've been in contact with them for a long time. Over the last few years I've been thinking about whether or not I should do it. I had a friend on staff who told me it would be a great thing for me. I was 31 and decided that it was now or never. It was one of the best decisions of my career.
“It has been a completely different experience for me, completely different from what I experience here every day. For me it is very important as a person to be in Africa and see how the people live there. It is special. It took me It took a long time to decide, but I thank God I said yes.”
Mascarell has already been rewarded with a magical moment as Equatorial Guinea confirmed their place in the Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco in December. “I saw the kids and how happy they are, it means everything to them,” he says.
“When I was there and we had the celebrations and when you see just one country united, the happiness that is there, we were like heroes. It was amazing. We will be in Morocco so we are very happy about that. I I I think we can do something good there.”
Before that, there is the chance to write some more history with Mallorca. To lift the trophy, they must beat the winner of Barcelona and Athletic in the final. But first there is the challenge of eliminating European champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
“We can't wait,” says Mascarell. “We are playing against Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world. We know it is difficult, but it is a big opportunity for us, a big chance for us to play for a trophy. And we know we have our chance to win.”
Mallorca drew against Madrid in LaLiga in August, so there is hope. “We played a great match then. We definitely have a chance. They have great players, but if they want to beat us they will have to play well because we are going to fight and give everything,” he added.
“I don't know if we will win or not, but we are like a family. We are together.” A Spanish-born international from Equatorial Guinea, playing for a club from the Balearic Islands in Saudi Arabia, he once again drew on his experiences as a youngster at Derby County.
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