Real Madrid: Woodgate out for season

By European Football
March 3 2005

The season is over already for Real Madrid’s Jonathan Woodgate, yet to play a game for the La Liga side since his transfer from Newcastle; Woodgate has had to admit defeat when it comes to playing for Real this season.

He denies that his career is over though, insisting that he will return next year. And Real themselves are insistent that his injury, requires only time and not surgery.

A class act when fit, Woodgate has never the less struggled with injuries for years now, and despite being the best defender many had seen at Newcastle, there were mixed emotions when he left, with a lot of Newcastle fans feeling that they had learned to do without Woodgate a long time before he joined Real.

Still if he can get anywhere near full fitness back, Real have a player of quality as he proved at Leeds and Newcastle, and he is arguably the best Centre half England has when fit. For England a fit Woodgate would represent a massive improvement to what they already have.