Xabi: I rejected the Premier League for Real Madrid, and this is what I like most about Mourinho

Carlos Espí, Real Madrid's young forward, has revealed the details behind his move to the Spanish club from Levante during the last summer transfer window, confirming that Real Madrid's offer left him no room for thought, despite other options to move to the English Premier League.

The 21-year-old Spanish striker opened up on life under Jose Mourinho, praising the way the Portuguese coach has handled him and worked to develop his game. He also revealed the manager's constant message: be patient, and make the most of every opportunity.

Espi told El Larguero on Cadena SER: "Everything that has happened to me is unbelievable, nobody expected it, not even my family, and now I have to keep working. It is difficult to take all this in because it is happening so fast. You have to be ready because this will not stop".

On his switch from Levante to Real Madrid, he explained, as reported by Marca: "There were options to move to the Premier League, but when Real Madrid's offer came, I could not refuse. Everything happened very quickly, and it was all finalised within two days".

The young striker also reflected on his relationship with Mourinho: "I will try to make the most of every minute the coach gives me. What I like most about Mourinho is his brilliance, how easy he is to communicate with, and the strictness of his demands. His interest in me and his telling me what is good and what is bad is extremely important to me".

"Mourinho tells me that I must be patient, and that I must make the most of every minute and every opportunity, and that is achieved through working every day," he continued. "Every minute he gives me is worth its weight in gold".

Kylian Mbappe earned warm words too, with Espi insisting he soaks up everything from the Frenchman in daily training. "Kylian Mbappe is an amazing player. In every training session I try to learn from him and from his advice. He is the best in the world, and in my opinion he deserved the Ballon d'Or".

He signed off: "What impresses me most is how skilful and fast he is and his ability to dribble. It is an honour for me to train with him".

Espi joined Real Madrid last summer from Levante in a deal that cost the club 25 million euros.

So far he has featured in 11 matches for a total of 51 minutes, including seven La Liga fixtures (just 32 minutes) and four Champions League games (only 19 minutes). Despite that, he has scored three goals, a rate of one every 17 minutes.

Madrid, meanwhile, have won all four of their Champions League matches to hold a perfect record on 12 points. They also sit second in La Liga with 30 points, three behind leaders Barcelona.

A win over Barcelona in the Camp Nou Clasico confirmed their intent to fight hard for the title after losing the last two to their rivals.