Real Madrid defender Marcelo given Botafogo squad number after hinting at move

After expressing a desire to play for Botafogo at some stage, Real Madrid full-back Marcelo has seen the door opened for him by the Brazilian club.

The 28-year-old left his homeland for Europe in 2007, with Madrid reaching an agreement with Fluminense for the then 18-year-old defender.

He has gone on to spend 10 productive years in the Spanish capital, claiming La Liga and Champions League honours.

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Marcelo is tied to a contract until 2020, with there no plans to make an imminent move elsewhere amid talk of a possible extension to those terms.

He has, however, told Globoesporte: “I’d love to play for Botafogo one day, it would be incredible.”

The Brazilian side have welcomed such talk and assigned Marcelo their number six jersey.

Botafogo state that: “A botafoguense is always welcome here.”

They are, however, unlikely to be opening their doors to Marcelo any time soon.

As a fan favourite at Madrid and a long-serving member of the Santiago Bernabeu squad, there is still much for the left-back to achieve in Spain.

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He is already approaching another notable landmark, with it likely that he will make his 400th appearance for Madrid in all competitions when the reigning Champions League title holders face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday.

“I never imagined I’d reach that figure with Real Madrid,” Marcelo added.

Should he spend another five years with the Blancos, then there is every reason to believe that he can push on towards 500 outings before contemplating a return to his roots in Rio de Janeiro.