Nigerian-born ex-Real Madrid defender, Derik Osede is chasing a contract in Spain, as he seeks a return to his former base, after spending the last three seasons with Bolton Wanderers.
The Los Blancos former youth team player is happy with life in England, where he says the lower division is very competitive, but fotoballlive.ng learnt he is eager to prove that he can also play at the highest level in Spain and make his mark with any La Liga outfit.
Born in Madrid to a Nigerian father and Spanish mother, Osede started playing football at the age of eight,after joining local DAV Santa Ana’s youth ranks.
He finished his formation with Real Madrid, going on to make his debuts as a senior with the C-team and helping them return to Segunda División B in 2012.
Derik was called to Real Madrid Castilla for the 2012 preseason and made his official debut for the B-side on 20 October 2012, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–1 away loss against Córdoba CF.
On 1 February 2014, Derik got his first professional goal in a 4–0 win over Hércules at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium, but the season ended with relegation, despite him getting 17 starts in 18 games.
On 6 July 2015, after a further two full seasons with Madrid B, Derik signed a three-year contract for Bolton Wanderers as a free agent and made his debut in the Football League Championship on 12 September, featuring the entirety of a 2–1 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
However, he is now thinking of returning to the country of his birth, having starred for Spain’s under-19 team at the 2012 UEFA European Championship, helping to a final win in Estonia.
Osede declared: “The level of the English Championship is superior to that of many top divisions across Europe. I have matured both personally and in terms of my football, correcting a lot of errors and I want to prove that.
“It is time to go back to my country, I need to find a club that loves me and a coach who gives me chances. Regular playing time is why I have rejected offers from other countries.
“When I left Castilla, I wanted to go to England and test myself in a tougher league with more demanding football and I think I polished myself as a player but everything wasn’t rosy at Bolton.
“I played but there were also streaks when I didn’t through injuries and other things and also went through a relegation as well as promotion.”
