Barcelona left-back Marcos Alonso, has his roots in Real Madrid.

The 31-year-old started out with the Real Madrid academy, after joining the club in 1999.

Alonso spent 11 years with the Los Blancos, but made only one appearance for the senior team.

Having joined Barcelona over the summer, the defender has now claimed that he has always, despite his Real Madrid past, had a soft spot for Barcelona.

He even claimed that he reluctantly trialled for Real Madrid.

“Throughout my career, I always wanted to sign for Barcelona, it was my team since I was a child,” Alonso explained in an interview with Sport.

“I trialled Real Madrid reluctantly, my parents laughed at me, but it was the best way for me to develop.”

Alonso who signed a one-year deal with Barcelona has said that his hope now is to stay at the Camp Nou for many years to come, as he revealed that he wanted to step out of his comfort zone in England.

“I took a risk because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone,” Alonso confessed while discussing his move.