At the age of 17, he played for Spain s U20 World Cup! Cassie: Good memories, career turning point

In an interview, legendary goalkeeper Casillas reviewed his experience at the 1999 U-20 World Cup. The Spanish U-20 national team embarked on a new journey today, and Casillas held up the trophy at the age of 17.

How to review the experience of winning the U-20 World Cup in Nigeria in 1999?

For me, it was an experience that came soon, but it became a quick baptism. The youth training academy and national team members trust me very much, so I am very happy to be able to compete in the U-20 World Cup at the age of 17 and contribute to that victory. It was a tough event because Nigeria doesn’t have the best conditions to host it, but it’s still a very good memory.

Are there any interesting team life stories in that experience?

Although we won the championship, we are still a group of kids. We went to visit a monkey park, and David Forrest was bitten by a monkey, who replaced Alvaro who was injured at the beginning of the World Cup. He had to see a doctor right away and get the vaccine to make sure there were no problems. The penalty shootout against Garner in the quarterfinals was a decisive moment, and you saved two penalty kicks. How important is that to your career?

That penalty shootout determined to some extent the direction of my career. I then entered Castia (Real Madrid B) and followed the first team to the preseason, which meant to me a leap of generations and level in football. From that moment on, my career began to take off, and the rest was history.

The U-20 team coached by Iniaki Saes include Xavi and Marchena who later won the World Cup. How important is that generation?

The generation was composed of Xavi, Marchener and me. As time goes by and the tournament goes on, many of our players who have emerged in youth teams at all levels have become protagonists and won the championship. I think it is crucial to bring these guys into the adult national team. The seeds of the South African World Cup were planted in Nigeria.

Today, the new Spanish U-20 starts its journey in Chile, with its first match against Morocco. What do you think of this new team?

This is an investment in young people. Young players are constantly emerging in big clubs in Spain. The difficulty is the step to entering the adult national team later, but the adult national team must draw nourishment from the U-21 national team, and the players achieved a qualitative leap at that decisive stage.

What do you want to say to these young U-20 players?

I will tell them to enjoy and seize this opportunity. This could be a very good showcase platform for them and a turning point in their careers, like the 18 players we were there at the time. It is necessary to enjoy and learn from it because it is a very wonderful event that few people can participate, and those who are lucky enough to participate are very lucky.