Elliott rejected Madrid because of Ramos

Elliott rejected Real Madrid's approach in 2019 after witnessing Ramos's challenge on Salah in the 2018 Champions League final, which left a lasting impression on the young British forward.

Harvey Elliott will return to Valencia's squad tomorrow after serving a one-match suspension, facing Real Madrid in a fixture with personal significance. The British forward had the opportunity to join Real Madrid in 2019 after becoming the Premier League's youngest ever debutant at 16 years and 30 days with Fulham. Madrid invited Elliott to visit their facilities at Valdebebas and the Santiago Bernabéu, even arranging a meeting with then-captain Sergio Ramos.

However, Elliott ultimately rejected the move. According to the player's account in The Athletic, he was put off by Ramos's challenge on Mohamed Salah during the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev, which left Salah injured as Madrid won their 13th European Cup. Elliott had watched that final from the stands with his father and was deeply affected by the incident involving one of his idols. When given the chance to greet Ramos during his Madrid visit, Elliott declined.

Instead, Elliott chose to sign for Liverpool when they called. He later moved to Valencia last summer seeking to rediscover his best form, though he has struggled so far with just six appearances and 152 minutes played, including a red card in the derby against Villarreal.