Woodgate sees bright side after nightmare debut

Jonathan Woodgate waited over a year to make his Real Madrid debut but the game that should have sealed a dream comeback from a career-threatening injury became the stuff of nightmares. Cheered to the rafters of the Bernabeu when his name was announced on the team sheet, Woodgate made a steady start at the centre of the Real back four against Athletic Bilbao in his first competitive game for 17 months.

A few neat interceptions, a couple of good headers and a powerful clearance suggested he was feeling at home again on the football pitch.

Woodgate was fortunate to escape a booking following an uncompromising tackle on Bilbao striker Joseba Etxeberria but five minutes later things took a turn for the worse.

Etxeberria broke from midfield before whipping in a dangerous cross and Woodgate, diving to head clear, failed to make a clean contact on the ball which flew past a helpless Iker Casillas and into the net.

Initially crest-fallen as he lay prostrate on the pitch, Woodgate dusted himself down after being consoled by his team mates and tried to get on with the job.

The own goal was clearly preying on his mind, however, and he was lucky to stay on the pitch when he clattered into midfielder Carlos Gurpegi on the halfway line just before the break.

Things appeared to be picking up in the second half, however, and Woodgate visibly grew in stature as early goals from new signing Robinho and inspirational skipper Raul put Real on course for their first win in four games.

However, only a minute after embracing Raul as he joined in the goal celebrations Woodgate was trudging disconsolately from the pitch after receiving a second yellow card for a seemingly innocuous challenge on Etxeberria.

In a demonstration of affection rarely seen at the Bernabeu, however, the notoriously fickle Real Madrid fans, who had spent much of the first half jeering their team, treated the England international to a standing ovation.

"That's not the way I dreamed my debut would be," Woodgate told reporters.

"I'm in shock but I have to thank the fans because of the way they responded to me."

"They waited a long time to see me play and they must not know what to think but they have tried to lift me after the own goal and then when I was walking off the pitch they clapped me. That meant a lot to me."

Despite what most people would regard as a horror-show debut, Woodgate has clearly won a place in the hearts of the Real Madrid fans and, most importantly, had proved his full recovery from a torn thigh muscle.

For the 25-year-old from Middlesbrough, an own goal and a sending-off were a small price to pay.

"I have had worse things happen to me than this and I know I will come back strong," he said. "The important thing is that the leg was 100 percent and I felt fine."