Liverpool and Everton were interested in signing Real Madrid’s La Liga sensation Marvin Park, his former Tranmere Rovers coach Neil Garnett has told the BBC.
It’s safe to assume that, when a 20-year-old forward came off the bench to make his senior debut against Real Sociedad in September, the number of visitors to Park’s Wikipedia page went through the roof.
After all, the Spain U19 international had come out of nowhere, a bolt from the Bernabau blue.
One day he was plugging away with the reserves, the next he was sharing a pitch with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos as Zinedine Zidane encouraged him from the touchline.
Park has yet to make an appearance for the 13-time European Champions since and, with Eden Hazard back to full fitness, he may be unlikely to build on that 20-minute cameo soon.
But to Garnett, who coached a teenage Park for a brief spell at Tranmere Rovers, Park’s emergence at a bonafide continental giant is fitting reward for a player with such awe-striking natural talent.
“His development was unreal,” Garnett explains.
“There was interest from Liverpool, Everton, Wigan, Blackburn and Manchester United. If he had stayed in England, the big clubs would have got him.
“He had pace, technique, he could play with both feet and he was strong. Some players don’t look fast but seem to glide past people and that was what he was like.
“He was a mouse in training but when he got on the pitch he was a lion. He was fearsome. The way he played football was unbelievable and the total opposite of his personality.
“The standard at Tranmere has always been good but to go from here to Real Madrid – where do you hear anything like that?”
Unfortunately for Park, he is just one gem in a treasure trove of attacking riches at Real Madrid. Beyond the obvious, there are also Samba starlets Vinicius Jr, Reinier Jesus and Rodrygo Goes. Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, returned in the summer after a sublime loan spell at Sociedad.
However, as Juan Mata, Pablo Sarabia, Marcos Alonso and Marcos Llorente will attest, there’s life outside the Bernabau goldfish bowl too.
Time will tell whether Park makes the grade.
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