Javier Dorado dead aged 48: Former Real Madrid player passed away after a long illness

Former Real Madrid player Javier Dorado passed away aged 48 on Thursday after a long illness.

The Spaniard was part of the Los Blancos academy system since 1996 before getting a promotion to the first team three years later under Vicente del Bosque.

The former left back made his debut in the white shirt in 1999 in a Copa del Rey match against Valencia, and won the Champions League trophy a season later.

However, in his second campaign, Dorado made only seven appearances and gained 400 minutes due to a fierce competition with Brazilian icon Roberto Carlos.

His following part of the career was marked by loan moves to UD Salamanca and Sporting Gijon, before leaving Santiago Bernabeu permanently over a transfer to Rayo Vallecano. 

Dorado continued his football journey to several Spanish sides, such as Mallorca and Atletico Baleares, where he retired in 2012 at the age of 35.

The Spaniard made his debut in the white shirt in a Copa del Rey clash against Valencia in 1999, appearing on the pitch alongside Guti, Clarence Seedorf and Fernando Morientes

Due to a challenging competition with Roberto Carlos, the former left back left the capital of Spain in the summer of 2002 

Real Madrid released a tribute statement on Thursday, saying: ‘Real Madrid CF, its president and its Board of Directors deeply regret the death of Javier Dorado, a Real Madrid youth player and player of our first team between 1999 and 2000.

‘Real Madrid would like to express its condolences and affection to his family, his team-mates, all his loved ones and all the clubs he was a part of.

‘During the two seasons he played for Real Madrid, Javier Dorado won one European Cup, the Eighth in Paris (2000).

‘Javier Dorado has passed away at the age of 48. May he rest in peace.’

Overall, he made eight appearances for Real Madrid’s senior squad, while most of his career games came in the second division of Spanish football.

Born in Talavera de la Reina, Dorado also featured in four matches for Spain’s Under 21s between 1998 and 2000.