‘I couldn't get into the first team’ - Super Eagles legend reveals why he did not get into Real Madrid squad

Adepoju joined the Spanish giants in 1989 after a standout performance for Nigeria at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. 

He spent three successful seasons with Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla, but was never promoted to the first team.

Following his time at Real Madrid, Adepoju moved to Racing Santander, where he established himself as a regular in La Liga, finally securing the top-flight football he had been seeking.

Speaking on the Play Zone Podcast, the retired Nigerian international explained that circumstances beyond his control derailed his dream of playing for Los Blancos.

"I was in the Real Madrid second team, Castilla," Adepoju stated. "In 1992, during the season, Hugo Sanchez was injured and they wanted me to come into the team."

However, La Liga regulations at the time allowed clubs to sign only four non-Spanish players, and Madrid's roster was already full of established international stars.

"In that period, they could only have four foreigners signed, and they already had the four," he explained. "They had Hugo Sanchez, Gheorghe Hagi, Robert Prosinečki, and Ricardo Rocha. I was in the second team, playing and doing very well."

Despite the quota, the club considered bringing Adepoju into the senior squad as cover for the injured Sanchez for the remainder of the season. Unfortunately, fate intervened.

"When Hugo Sanchez got injured, they wanted to bring me in to substitute and play until the end of the season," he recalled. "Unfortunately, I had a shoulder injury, and that was why I couldn't get into the first team."

A change in management at the end of that season sealed his fate, leading to his departure from the club.

"After the season was when I left because another coach came in, and I was not in his plans," Adepoju concluded.

Meanwhile, in other news, Real Madrid's title chances were dented last weekend following a draw to Girona.