Midfielder Asensio aims to stay at Real Madrid

Midfielder Marco Asensio believes the time has come for him to stake a claim for a place in the Real Madrid first team football squad.

The 20-year-old joined Real Madrid from Mallorca a year and a half ago, but has so far not played an official game for the club, spending half a season on loan with Mallorca and the past campaign with Espanyol, reports Xinhua.

There is little doubt he was the pick of the Espanyol squad, scoring four goals and helping to give the creative spark to a side which battled successfully to retain its place in the Spanish top flight this season.

Asensio's reward has been a place among the 11 players chosen by Spain chief coach Vicente Del Bosque to train with the Spain national team ahead of the European Championship and he is also setting his sights on the 2016-17 campaign.

"My intention is to have a good pre-season with Real Madrid and to stay with them, but if they want to loan me out again, then we will see," commented Asensio at the presentation of a summer training camp.

Espanyol would like Asensio on loan for a second campaign, but he admitted the chance to train with French legend and Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was "very attractive".

"When I was young I used to watch him a lot and I want to be able to learn from him," said the midfielder, who said he was excited he has been called up by del Bosque.

"It was a dream come true when I saw the squad. I am going to train the best I can and try to learn from the great players in the Spanish national team," he said.

--IANS

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