Fabinho has opened on how his move to Real Madrid materialised as he revealed he met Jose Mourinho for the first time in his pyjamas.
The Liverpool midfielder started his career in his homeland of Brazil before moving to Portugal with Rio Ave in 2012.
But he would soon make the sensational switch to the Bernabeu but would predominantly play for the club’s reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla.
Fabinho played 30 times for Real’s reserves in a season, but first-team opportunities were few and far between with a solitary substitute appearance against Malaga in La Liga, where he picked up an assist.
Fabinho returned to Rio Ave in 2013 as he couldn't force his way into Mourinho's plans, but was then loaned out to Monaco for two years before the move was made permanent in 2015.
Would Fabinho have been a success at Real Madrid given more time? Comment below
Fabinho found a home in Ligue 1 before making the move to Liverpool.
And the Brazilian has now opened on his shock transfer to Madrid and how it came about in such a sudden manner as agent Jorge Mendes arrived at his house with no warning.
“We arrived in Portugal, but I stayed around at Rio Ave for just two weeks, maybe three at the most,” Fabinho told the latest edition of FourFourTwo.
“I had a barbecue with other Brazilians and then my agent called to say that Real Madrid Castilla [Real Madrid reserve team] needed a right-back and wanted to know if I was interested.
“Then one night, Lucio [Araujo, brother of former Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Deco], came and told me to pack my things because Jorge Mendes was on his way by car in the early hours of the morning.
“I was like, ‘Is something wrong?’ Nobody said a word, but then at some point in the car, Mendes said we were travelling to Madrid and that I would sign for them.
“I called my mum in Brazil to tell her about that and she started to cry.
“No-one had expected something this huge to happen in such a short time. It was a very special moment for me.”
Fabinho would meet Mourinho under bizarre circumstances as Mendes and the Madrid boss turned up at his hotel room in the early hours of the morning with the midfielder still wearing his pyjamas.
“We headed to the hotel in Madrid, and while I was still sleeping, I woke up to somebody knocking on the door,” said Fabinho.
“I looked through the peephole and couldn't believe it. It was Mendes and [then Real Madrid manager] Jose Mourinho!
“I was still wearing my pyjamas, not at all prepared to meet him. I didn't even know what to say.
“He wanted to welcome me. I was still a bit shy and never thought I would meet him like that!”
