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It was only minutes after the draw for Champions League Group B had been announced, but Liverpool FC right back Javi Manquillo’s mobile phone was already red-hot.

Texts, Whatsapp messages, Twitter notifications, all concerning one subject.

Liverpool. Real Madrid. Liverpool. Real Madrid. It had to be.

The young Reds full-back has more reason than most to relish a meeting with the current European Champions. Indeed, the 20-year-old says he owes part of his development as a player to them.

“I spent four seasons there, at the ‘Cantera’,” Manquillo explained to the ECHO. “They were the first club who opened doors for me as a player.

“I’m very thankful to them for helping me grow in my career, and it will be nice to play against them now in a Liverpool jersey.”

Born in Madrid, Manquillo actually grew up a fan of Atletico, Real’s cross-city rivals. And when Real opted not to retain the services of his twin brother, Victor, in 2007, it was Atleti who stepped in. Javi, keen to display his family loyalty, followed him to the Vicente Calderon.

“When I first started playing for Real, my friends would joke with me,” he says. “They would say ‘how can you now play for our rivals, how could you do that?’. They were all Atleti fans too, and they would constantly tease me, in good humour, about playing for Real.

“So when the draw was made, they were all contacting me, encouraging me to play well and to beat Real Madrid for them!

“We know it will be tough, but hopefully Liverpool can make my friends dreams come true!”

The twins’ careers have taken off in different directions since that move across Madrid. Victor, a winger/forward, currently plies his trade with the B team of Rayo Vallecano, in Spain’s regionalised Segunda B division.

Manquillo, by contrast, has developed into a stellar prospect. Liverpool’s start to this season has been below-par, but the new-boy has shown enough to suggest he could have a future at Anfield beyond his initial two-season loan agreement.

Still, the prospect of a game against Real could easily be a daunting one for a young defender. Gareth Bale may have been ruled out, but Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t, James Rodriguez hasn’t, Karim Benzema hasn’t. Carlo Ancelotti’s men boast one of the most fearsome attacks in world football.

What they don’t have, though, is the backing of the Kop, and Manquillo says that could be key come Wednesday night.

“Of course it is going to be tough playing against these guys,” he says. “Ronaldo is the best player in the world, but they have other guys too. But Liverpool have good players as well, and one advantage that we have is the fact that we will be playing at home, with our supporters behind us. That is why we are hopeful that we can get three points.

“I’m ready for this game. It will be a beautiful game, a big match against a big club. But myself and the rest of my teammates are ready to handle it, and hopefully we can win all three points as well.”