Ezequiel Garay has claimed leaving that Real Madrid for Benfica in 2011 was the best decision of his career.
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Ezequiel Garay: Leaving Real Madrid my best choice
Real Madrid is not the perfect destination for every footballer, as Ezquiel Garay looks back joyously at sealing a move away to Benfica.
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Garay was tipped for big things when Madrid plucked the centre-back from Racing Santander in 2008, but under Jose Mourinho he fell out of favour and eventually left for Estadio da Luz.
At Benfica he established himself as a first-team regular to help his chances on the international stage with Argentina, before moving on to Zenit three years later.
Now at Valencia following a close-season move, Garay has been reflecting on his last spell in Spain and is adamant leaving Madrid was crucial.
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"I respect Real Madrid as an institution," he told El Desmarque. "But I still say that the best decision of my career was getting out of the club, because a footballer likes to play and I did not.
"I do not regret leaving there as the three years I spent at Benfica after leaving Real were spectacular.
"At Benfica I had my best years as a player. I was very happy, I won important things.
"We played two finals followed by the Europa League [final] and got places that the club had never been."
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