Real Madrid pair Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé have both taken to social media, to reveal their appreciation for an at-times unsung hero in the club’s squad.
The player in question? Federico Valverde.
Midfielder Valverde was for his part afforded his latest start on Sunday, as Real Madrid locked horns with Real Betis in a La Liga clash.
And, though it was the aforementioned Mbappé who ultimately stole the headlines owing to his first two goals in La Liga, the Uruguayan, again, was an absolutely central driving force in Los Blancos’ victory.
The 26-year-old, as has proven the case time and time again over the early weeks of the campaign, was arguably his side’s standout performer, shining bright on both sides of the ball.
Valverde even laid on Mbappé’s opener midway through the 2nd-half, courtesy of a sumptuous flicked assist.
And such exploits, as alluded to above, did not go at all unappreciated on the part of his teammates.
Taking to the comments section of Valverde’s latest Instagram post, Mbappé labelled the midfield all-rounder a ‘crack’, with attacking partner-in-crime Vinícius Jr. having added: ‘What a player!!!’
Conor Laird | GSFN
