Introducing our new podcast – My Football Passport. Hosted by James Dodd, he will chat one-on-one with some of Australian football’s most popular players and coaches about their careers across the football planet, both in the A-Leagues, and abroad. You’ll hear from A-Leagues icons, Socceroos and Matildas legends, and globetrotting coaches paving the way overseas.
We launch by catching up with Perth Glory legend Diego Castro.
You can listen below, or via your favourite podcast platform.
Diego Castro lit up the A-Leagues during his time with Perth Glory, but the flamboyant Spaniard was breaking all the rules long before his move to Australia.
It was during Castro’s time with Malaga in LaLiga. The then-23-year-old had been promoted to the club’s first team for the 2005-06 season. He only made two appearances for Los Albicelestes and his second came against the Galacticos – Real Madrid – in December 2005.
La Rosaleda was the latest stop on Zinedine Zidane’s farewell tour. The superstar was to hang up his boots at the end of the season.
There was a rule in the Spanish squad – inexperienced players were not to ask for a shirt.
But, Castro was never going to let his opportunity slip against the team he supported as a child after coming off the bench for the final six minutes, even if it was a joke.
During his appearance on the My Football Passport podcast, Glory great and 2015-16 Johnny Warren Medallist Castro shared the details of that night on December 11, 17 years ago.
“It was the last year of Zinedine Zidane and everyone knew that,” said Castro, who had offers from the likes of Sevilla and Valencia during his time in LaLiga. “Me personally, the way that I approach the game, I’m a little bit cocky with a good sense of humour.
“I know when we face that team, everyone tried to get Zidane’s shirt. Obviously it was my second game in the first division, I’m not supposed to go thinking that situation, just do my work.
“It was funny because the first two minutes, it was a corner and I was on the edge of the box. Zidane was next to me and I made a joke. I pulled his shirt and said you know what, this shirt is going to be mine.
“I was just laughing because there is a rule in the squad, especially when you come as a young player, you can’t ask for a shirt especially when there’s a lot of experienced players from the first team. You have to respect that.
“That’s why, early on I just make a joke, probably that I could get that shirt. I know that after the game, I can’t approach them. I have to respect the players. This is something I always try to do. At the end of the game, Zidane, the captain, everyone was asking for his shirt.
“Zidane looked at me and said no, I’m going to give it to that kid. Second game, he didn’t know me. He didn’t have to do that. It was amazing.
“The storyline about that is my best friend, even when we played PlayStation back in the day, he was always talking about Zidane, even before Juventus. I didn’t know – I said who is this bald guy playing in France? I didn’t know. But he was so passionate about, even when he was in Juventus. You can’t imagine when he came to Real Madrid and he was a Real Madrid supporter.
“So I give it to him and he put it in a frame. He has it in his house. This is me, probably not being professional as I should be because my second team, I have to be focused. But I was thinking about the Zidane shirt and it was obviously one of my best experiences as a player.”
Fast forward to 2022 and ex-Glory captain Castro remains without a club after the 39-year-old departed Perth in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Castro helped guide the Glory to the 2018-19 Premiership, while he also scored 49 goals and supplied 30 assists, having left LaLiga side Getafe for Perth in 2015.
A move to Adelaide United in January was touted but it never materialised.
So, will we see Castro back in the A-League?
“In the last window in January, I got offers,” Castro said. “I sat down on those offers and thought about it. It was not an easy decision to just lay down in terms of my career because I still feel I can perform well.
“The right priority for my family, that’s what it was about. With all the borders and situation, I probably have to move by myself. I don’t want to move the family because the age of my kids is kind of tricky. They follow me and chase me always and they respect that. I had to give it back, this is my treasure and I love them.
“Everything I done is for them. Now is the time is enjoying with them. I got offers but it was quite complicated. I have to sacrifice a lot of things. Who knows in the future.”
Even if Castro doesn’t grace the A-Leagues again, the former Sporting Gijon wingers reflects on his Australian adventure fondly, having turned down the chance to stay at Getafe in favour of a switch to a country and league he knew little about.
“I didn’t follow any league outside of Europe,” he said. “No disrespect to Perth and the A-League, and I love the A-League. Obviously a lot of gap to fill up and improve but I loved that time.
“In that market, in my mind, Getafe preferred me to stay there but I wasn’t enjoying my craft, which is kind of crazy. You have everything, you are in the best league, they prefer you to stay… but it was something wrong in my eyes that I wasn’t fully enjoying. I know I need something to change in my life.
“The idea came up to go England and we go back and forth, and at the end of the market, some agent recommended Australia. I always had the idea that it was a dream come true to make a living to finish in Australia and learn the language.
“Probably the best decision of my life, regardless of achieving or if I could play in better leagues, honestly I couldn’t’ care less back in the day and I don’t care now. I was so happy.”
