'Real Madrid is the maximum' - Guti dreaming of return to Los Blancos as manager

The club legend and former midfielder sees the job on the bench of the Spanish giants as the top of the managerial profession

Former Real Madrid star Guti harbours strong ambitions of returning to lead the La Liga giants as head coach.

Madrid great Guti was linked with a move back to the Spanish capital before Julen Lopetegui was sacked and replaced by Santiago Solari in October.

Guti – who left Madrid's youth team to re-join Turkish powerhouses Besiktas as a coach in July last year – still dreams of coaching his boyhood club.

"For sure. I have always said it. [To be on] the bench of Real Madrid is the maximum, as it was as a player," the 42-year-old told Marca .

"To be there one day would be really significant. I know that I must achieve plenty to be there but it also took a great effort to be there as a player. I am not scared of that.

"The only thing I want is to have an opportunity to do things well and for my work to be known and to keep growing."

"For now, I am happy with the steps that I have taken," Guti said. "Now I have the final one, which for me is to be the head coach of a professional team. I am waiting for this, excited, with great enthusiasm and I hope it will happen this summer."

Amid Madrid's struggles this season, Guti was asked if he could have been named coach and the ex-midfielder replied: "It is obvious that I would have had more of a chance if I was still there but I do not like to look back. It is worthless.

"Now, I am happy to have made the decision to come here. It has been very good for me to know what it is like to be a coach in professional football and keep growing."

Zinedine Zidane was re-appointed last month after Solari was sacked, the Frenchman having left Madrid following a third consecutive Champions League title in 2017-18.

"It surprised me, but it is clear that Zidane has done things very well at Real Madrid and the team was in a delicate situation," Guti added. "The friendship between Florentino [Perez] and Zidane also helped. If it is for the good of Real Madrid, all of us Madridistas are happy with his return."

Madrid, who suffered a 2-1 loss to Valencia on Wednesday, are third and 13 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona.