Mariano Diaz is one of the four players confirmed to leave Real Madrid this month – as Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard are all leaving as well.

Mariano Diaz leaves as a free agent, but the striker never really made the cut in the first team.

The 29-year-old played just 84 games for Real Madrid’s senior team in seven years after graduating from Castilla. He could only manage 12 goals and 3 assists.

Diaz was never a starter at the club, and barely even featured, but he loved his time at Real Madrid, and recounts how he broke his face while defending the club’s badges.

“I know that some of my decisions have not been well understood and surely one day I will be able to explain myself,” Mariano says in a farewell message to the club.

“I’ve broken my face playing for this team.

“But not now, now is the time to look ahead and start a stage with all the ambition in the world.

“I have fought even in the game of life, when you have to go out in the 91st minute, you never know when the reward will come.

“I fulfilled a dream and I did not give up. That 10-year-old Mariano would be very proud of today.

“I could never imagine that this boy from Premià, that boy who spent all day playing football in the square with Bubu, Barry, Alaji, Edu or Xavi, would end up living this dream.”

Indeed, Diaz once broke his nose playing against Elche two seasons ago.