Real Madrid fans support Casillas move

Iker Casillas, club icon and captain of Real Madrid Club, has been given the green light by the club's fans to look for a new club after being kept on the bench for the second consecutive match by new coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Casillas is widely loved and respected in Spain, and almost 75 percent of the respondents of a poll conducted by Spanish sports daily Marca feel the keeper would be best served if he moved to another club.

Casillas has not started a game for Madrid for seven months now since he suffered a thumb injury last season and with the World Cup approaching next summer, he cannot afford to remain on the bench for another season.

Spain national team coach Vicente del Bosque has recently come out in the defence of the current Spanish No. 1, saying: "We should associate Iker with many years representing Spanish football. He has 149 international caps and that's no mean feat. We should be kind, respectful and appreciative with him and with those competing with him."

However, Casillas knows his chances of remaining the national first-choice goalkeeper would gradually diminish if he continued to remain on the bench and with Ancelotti settling the debate as to who is his No. 1 at Madrid, he is being linked with moves away from the club he has served for his entire career till date.

A number of clubs could be interested in snapping up the illustrious keeper who, at the age of just 32, still has a lot of years left in his career.

Premier League side Arsenal have been the club who have shown the most interest in acquiring his services but many other clubs might enter the race if Casillas finally makes the decision to leave Madrid./www.givemesport.com