Madrid's Gago is Wise Beyond His Years

• FIfa.com, Tuesday, February 27, 2007 3:14 PM

Fernando Gago of Real Madrid may not be having the smoothest of transitions from the Argentine league to Spain's La Liga, but one thing the 20-year old possesses in spades is a maturity on the field that belies his age. Widely tipped as the successor to Fernando Redondo, the Merengues' midfield maestro in the mid to late '90s, Gago spoke to Fifa.com about his new life at Real Madrid.

With a great deal of equanimity, the youngster said he's just trying to enjoy every minute, treating each big event, like winning a starting role in Real's midfield or earning his first international cap, as an opportunity that may or may not happen again. Despite Real's shaky form, Gago remains confident: "I came here because I knew I was good enough and I was clear about what I had to offer," he said, adding that he doesn't feel the need to adjust his game: "I'm playing the same way I've always done and I just want to carry on showing why I got this far."

Gago's goal is to stay in Madrid and win trophies, although one day he hopes to return to Argentina, where he would only play again for Boca Juniors, his former club. He looks forward to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where hopefully he'll be leading Argentina.

Read the whole story at FIfa.com »