Adán in the spotlight

Antonio Adán left the Cornellà-El Prat stadium on Sunday embraced by Silvino Louro, Real Madrid's goalkeeping coach. Adán, the third-choice first team keeper, was called into action after just two minutes of Real's match against Espanyol after Iker Casillas was sent off. It was the 23-year-old's Liga debut, although he had played half a Champions League match against Auxerre and the full 90 minutes in a King's Cup game against Levante. Jerzy Dudek, the second-choice keeper, is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained during the match against Auxerre.

José Mourinho described Adán's performance as "fantastic." "Antonio looked like a veteran," the Portuguese coach said. Mourinho almost never refers to his players by their first name, but the locally born keeper who came up through Real's youth ranks has consistently impressed the club's staff.

"Today he has stature but when he began he was a little bit bottom-heavy"

Adán's brother, Alfonso, is the keeper for Real Madrid's Cadete B youth team

"Today he has exceptional stature but when he began he was a little bit bottom-heavy," says Manuel Amieiro, Casillas' mentor and the coach who took Adán under his wing when he arrived at Real aged 10. "That stature favors him greatly. He also had other skills that other kids could not call on; he was brave, dedicated and born to be a keeper. And he was willing to listen."

Adán, who stands 1.90 meters tall, captained the Spain national under-19 team to the European Championship in 2006. "He is the only player who has not missed a single international in any age group since he was 15. And he has been captain in all them," says Ginés Meléndez, the coach of that championship-winning side.

Adán always wanted to be a goalkeeper. It is a family tradition. His brother, Alfonso, is the goalkeeper for Real Madrid's Cadete B youth team and at 14 years of age is already just five centimeters shorter than Antonio.

The older Adán started out at Mejorada del Campo, a suburban side in Madrid, eventually becoming captain of Real Madrid Castilla, the final step before young players achieve first-team status. In Real's youth ranks Adán coincided with one of the finest batches of keepers the club has produced. "There was Diego López [now at Villarreal], Jordi Codina [Getafe], Casillas, Tomás Mejías [Castilla] and of course Adán," says Emilio Álvarez, Real's former goalkeeping coach currently working across town at Atlético. "What made him different? His reaction speed, his aggressiveness and his blocking. He also has great character and is able to impress himself on the locker room."

"His temperament, very cordial, polite and respectful, clashed with the boisterous atmosphere of the youth teams," says Juan Carlos Mandià, a former coach of Castilla. "But he jumps well, has a good kick and he covers the goal." Mandià reveals that Adán doesn't like to talk much about soccer off the field. He is a fan of music and cinema and he spends his spare time with the kids at his former club, Unión Deportivo Nuevo Mejorada, where he helps to organize tournaments.

"Calmness is a constant in him," says Amieiro. "Well, at the beginning it was one of his deficiencies. He thought that his frame gave him everything he needed and he lacked a little intensity. But he has perseverance and an enormous thirst to succeed."

Adán grew up admiring Francisco Buyo and now his reference is Casillas. "The shadow of Iker isn't a weight; it's insurmountable," says Álvarez. "He is so good and misses so few games, you begin to think you should leave Real to return later after a few turns."

For the moment, with Casillas suspended, Adán will be between the posts next Saturday against Levante.