Real Madrid

Real Madrid has announced the signing of Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay. The 22-year old has spent the last two and a half seasons with Racing Santander, who he will be loaned to next season after the team locked up a spot in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup.

Ezequiel Garay was born on 10 October 1986 in Rosario, Argentina. He began his professional career in 2004 when he debuted with Newell’s Old Boys, who went on to win that season's Torneo Apertura, their first title since 1992.

Coming of age in Santander
Garay joined Racing midway through the 2005/06 campaign. His first few months were spent adjusting to Spanish football, and in his first complete season he rose to stardom as one of the top defenders in La Liga. It only took five matches for then coach Miguel Ángel Portugal to grant Garay a spot in the starting lineup, and the player hasn't looked back since.

Not only did Garay stand out for his versatility, strength, and speed, but he finished his first season with Racing as Europe's highest scoring defender; 10 goals in 31 matches, including a brace in El Sardinero against Real Madrid. This season he was instrumental in guiding the outfit to a Copa del Rey semifinal showdown against Getafe, during which he suffered a fortuitous injury which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the year.

Decisive set-piece maestro
Ezequiel Garay is a tall defender and very competitive in the aerial game. While he can also anticipate plays and possesses superb reaction time, what sets him apart from other defenders is his set-piece stroke. A frequent penalty and free kick taker, Ezequiel Garay already showed the Santiago Bernabéu what he is capable of when he placed the ball into the upper right corner of Iker's net a couple seasons ago.

Sticking with youth
Garay's hiring is proof that Real Madrid is sticking with its commitment to sign young players. The defender is only 22 and has a long career ahead of him, and one year before moving to the Spanish capital he's got the chance to tie up any loose ends in his game by participating in the UEFA Cup with Racing.

International for Argentina
In May 2007 Garay was a member of the Argentine national team's European tour with matches against Switzerland, Algeria, and Serbia. Although injury prevented him from debuting and participating in the 2007 Copa America, he did make his first appearance in August of that same year against Norway. He was also a member of the 2005 Under-20 World Cup champion squad in the Netherlands.