Real Madrid veteran Lucas Vazquez said goodbye to his boys' club on Thursday, in an official club act. The 34-year-old contract has expired and he is now a free agent for the first time.
Vazquez joined the club at the age of 16 -in 2007 as a youth player of Velez and started going up the ranks until he reached the Castilla side. He would then loan Espanyol for a year before Los Blancos brought him back from Los Pericos. He would spend the following decade as a useful alternative to Real Madrid, initially on the right wing, and then as a right back.
The nine times Spain International appeared 402 performances for the club, scored 38 goals and gave 73 assists. Perhaps the most famous he scored a penalty against Aletico Madrid in the 2016 Champions League final, and last season scored and assisted in a 3-2 victory over Barcelona. He lifted four Liga titles, five championships and a Copa del Rey, while picking up another 12 supercup trophies.
In an emotional event, where President Florentino Perez Vazquez called 'One of Us' before he thanked him for his many years of service, Vazquez opened a message for his wife Macarena Rodriguez.
“Without you this would not have been possible,” Lucas told his wife, as quoted by Marca.
“You gave me peace of mind and support to continue to believe in myself. We laughed and cried together. You are the person who knows me the best and also the one who endured me the most, are my best life partner. I can never thank you for everything you have done for me.”
Vazquez was in tears during the event and on his last day in the Santiago Bernabeu in May, while cut a lower profile than Luka Modric and Carlo Ancelotti.
“This is one of the most important days of my life, and I want to start thanking the fans. Thank you for every applause and every gesture of support. You let me feel at home. I had the privilege of sharing a dressing room with legends and winning titles, but above all, I am happy. I am happy.
“I fulfilled my dream. I am leaving, but Real Madrid will never be mine. I am and will always be Lucas Vazquez, a real Madrid youth player.”