Former Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran believes he should have joined Real Madrid when he had the chance as a teenager.
McEachran, a former England youth international, was lauded as a youngster, tipped to become one of the world’s best.
However, he struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge before being sent out on loan to numerous clubs.
McEachran finally left Chelsea in 2015, signing for Championship outfit Brentford.
Now 23, he recalled having his chance to move to European giants Madrid.
“I was 16, at Chelsea, and my agent at the time said, ‘Real Madrid want you’. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? At that age,” he told The Telegraph.
“I had the chance to go to Real Madrid or Man United. Real Madrid had the contract waiting for me and they wanted all my family to fly over but I said, ‘No, I want to stay at Chelsea’. I was a Chelsea fan.”
McEachran would make just a total of 22 appearances for Chelsea before loan stints at Swansea City, Middlesbrough, Watford, Wigan and Vitesse Arnhem.
Ahead of a return to Chelsea for an FA Cup clash on Saturday, McEachran said he perhaps should have made the move to Madrid.
“I just believed in myself that I was going to make it. Under Carlo [Ancelotti, manager], when I made my debut I was like, saying to myself ‘Ah, that was a good choice for me to say no to Real Madrid’.
“But looking back now maybe I should have.”
