Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas Fernández (born May 20, 1981 in Móstoles, Madrid) is a Spain football (soccer) goalkeeper. He is currently the first choice goalkeeper for Real Madrid C.F. and the Spain national football team. He is the captain of the Spanish national team, as well as one of the vice-captains of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid

Casillas was a product of Real's youth system and his reflexes and agility have made him into one of the most important players at the club. Iker started in the junior team in Madrid during the 1990/91 season. His impressive performances were rewarded when he received a call up to the main team in the 98/99 season. From the 1999/2000 season onwards he formed part of the Real first team, in which he took his place like a veteran. Iker has consistently performed to incredibly high standards, which has led to his becoming one of the most important members of the team. Although at times, Real Madrid have struggled to find form and consistency during past seasons, Iker has become one of the top goalkeepers in the football market due to his strong leadership skills and vast amounts of natural ability that he regularly displays at the Bernabeu stadium.

National team

Casillas was a member of the Spanish teams which won the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup and FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999. Following his full international debut against Sweden national football team, Casillas was an unused substitute at 2000 UEFA European Football Championship.

2002 World Cup

He was selected to the Spanish national Team and ended up being the first choice goalkeeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in South Korea and Japan later that year. Because of his performance, Casillas enjoyed hero status after Spain knocked out the Republic of Ireland national football team in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the quarter-finals. After the FIFA World Cup and his performances against the Republic of Ireland and Korea Republic national football team, he emerged as the first choice keeper for the national team.

Euro 2004

Casillas played in all eight Group 6 fixtures during 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying, conceding just four goals. He then kept goal in both legs of the play-off victory against Norway national football team, keeping a clean sheet in Oslo. He then played as his country's goalkeeper at the Euro 2004 finals.

2006 World Cup

Casillas was his country's first-choice goalkeeper during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Spain was beaten by France national football team 3-1 which marked the end of the 2006 campaign.
During the tournament, he captained Spain twice.

Honors and awards

Domestic
- La Liga : 2001, 2003 and 2007
- Spanish Super Cup : 2003
Continental
- UEFA Champions League : 2000 and 2002
- European Supercup : 2002
- Intercontinental Cup : 2002
International
- FIFA World Youth Championship : 1999

Trivia

- Due to Spanish language grammar rules his forename is often spelled as Íker. The name Iker (English language: visitation) however is of Basque people origin and in Basque language diacritic are not used. His parents worked in Bilbao, Basque Country (autonomous community) for some time before he was born and simply liked the name Iker so much that they decided to give it to him when he was baptized. His younger brother also has a Basque name, Unai (English: shepherd).
- Casillas was the only Madrid player to use public transport to get to training sessions in the 1999/00 season, because he was too young at the time to have a driver's license.
- He became the youngest-ever goalkeeper to ever play in the European Cup final, when Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 four days after his 19th birthday.
- He is dating Spanish Miss Spain 2003 and model (person) Eva González. They split in November 2006, but reunited a few weeks later. She was once voted the prettiest footballers' partner in Spain.
- He was born on the same day as Chelsea F.C. keeper Petr Cech, but is a year older.