This week, after reporting to Spain's U21 training camp, Espi was interviewed by AS. In the first part of the interview (which we've divided into three sections due to its length), he discussed his feelings about the U21 call-up and his experience of transferring to Real Madrid this summer.

Related links:

Espi: I'm similar to Joselu but I focus on myself; Mourinho wants me to connect more with Mbappé

Espi: Losing the derby is tough but we'll get through it; I'd vote for Mbappé for the Ballon d'Or

You were once considered a strong contender for Spain's senior national team. Were you surprised by this U21 call-up? Did you expect it? How do you feel about being selected for the U21? After all, you've already played in youth teams, right?

I definitely had a chance of being selected. I've been scoring goals and, honestly, this U21 call-up has motivated me a lot. I especially hope to help the team and contribute as much as possible. I'm full of excitement.

You know this group of players, right? You've played alongside many of them before. Who do you get along with best in the squad? Who are your closest friends and who helped you most in adapting to this new phase?

Yes, I know almost everyone in this squad: Chema, Ramón, Rodríguez, López from the U19 days – I could name almost all of them. They helped me a lot to integrate quickly, and I'm very grateful for that.

Do you see this U21 call-up as an opportunity to open doors to the senior national team? Just like Fresneda was called up after Porro withdrew from the squad.

I hope so. This is my first U21 call-up for Spain. I'll give my best to help the team and I'll always be ready.

This is a new phase of your life, isn't it? There have been emotional highs and lows at Real Madrid too, as we just discussed. Not long ago, you were Levante's key player, and now you're at Real Madrid, playing alongside Mbappé, Vinicius Jr., Bellingham, and Courtois. Is there a moment when you look in the mirror and think: "Carlos, calm down, what exactly is happening?"

Honestly, every time I return to my hometown and reality, I really realize what a great honor it is to train with the best players in the world. I'm incredibly happy about it.

Your transfer happened very suddenly, a lightning-quick transfer, right? You said at the time that you couldn't even tell your friends – it was normal one second and the next you'd joined Real Madrid. How do you remember those days? How difficult was it to keep the transfer secret?

Those days were truly agonizing. Imagine knowing you're about to join Real Madrid but not being able to tell anyone. It was really difficult for those few days; I really wanted to share the good news, but we had to follow instructions.

The club told us that the official announcement would come soon and we couldn't leak any information beforehand. I especially wanted to tell my friends. When people asked me "Which team are you joining?", I couldn't say anything. But I was extremely happy inside, and my friends were happy for me too.

Mourinho accepted you from day one. It's said that he even showed you the training ground and had dinner with you. Is that true? What does Mourinho mean to you? What have you learned from him? What does he ask of you?

Mourinho has an impressive track record as a coach. He treated me well from my first day with the team, but he also made strict demands and paid close attention to my development. This has made me more relaxed and confident. It's an honor to be treated this way by Mourinho, and I'm very happy about it.

Tradotto dall'IA.

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