'I joined Derby County from Real Madrid and maybe I should go back one day'
Omar Mascarell has opened up on his time at Derby County and says he will be eternally grateful to Jeff Hendrick for the help he gave him at Pride Park.
Derby moved to sign Mascarell when Steve McClaren was in charge back in 2014, and his arrival from Real Madrid drew plenty of headlines. He is currently playing for Mallorca, where he is preparing to take on old club Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. But he will never forget his time at Derby, where he made 30 appearances as the club finished eighth in the Championship.
In an interview with Sky Sports, he says while he was 21 at the time and thrown into a completely different environment, he appreciates how the move helped his career.
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"I just remember it being dark at four o'clock in the afternoon," he said. "I am in Mallorca right now and it is 18 degrees and sunny in January but I am originally from the Canary Islands and the weather there is even better than here in Mallorca. So it was a big difference for me. I was very young, all alone and I did not speak any English.
"I was lucky that I joined a very good club. They put me with a teacher from the first moment to learn English as quickly as possible. I also had very good team-mates who helped a lot.
"Jeff Hendrick was always there for me, even when I did not speak English. He took me to his home and tried to help me improve every day. Really, he is a great person. I remember him with a big heart. I am still in contact sometimes."
"We played together in the middle and I learned a lot. I had been at Real Madrid where everything was with the ball, more tactical. When I arrived in England it was so physical. The ball would go one way and then the other, it was a lot faster."
Mascarell has enjoyed a fine career that has seen him grace the Champions League with Schalke, but now he is at Mallorca where the club are currently sixth in the Spanish top flight.
But looking back at his time at Derby, he is grateful for the experience and has contemplated coming back to the city one day.
"It had a big impact on me. I improved as a player and a person. I am always thinking that maybe one day I should go back there to revive the memories, you know. But, for sure, I grew up a lot that season and I was a better player when I went to Germany."
