Tyrhys Dolan: Ex-Blackburn winger faces Jose Mourinho on Real Madrid return – BBC Sport
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The ex-Blackburn winger facing Mourinho and Madrid
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Dolan played 38 games for Espanyol last season across La Liga and the Copa del Rey
By Elizabeth Conway, Spanish football reporter
Published 9 minutes ago
Tyrhys Dolan, who played for Blackburn Rovers for five years before joining Espanyol last summer, is preparing to face one of the biggest tests of his career when Real Madrid visit the RCDE Stadium on Saturday (20:30 BST).
The 24-year-old Manchester-born winger began his second season in Spain strongly, scoring in Espanyol’s 3-0 victory over Levante on the opening weekend.
Now, he faces a very different challenge with Jose Mourinho‘s Real Madrid arriving in Barcelona for their first match of the season.
Dolan insists Espanyol will not let the occasion affect them.
"These are the games you want to be playing in," he said. "They’re the games the supporters want to watch and all eyes will be on it."
Facing Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold
Dolan also knows he could line up alongside fellow English players Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but there will be little time for catching up before kick-off.
"When it’s business, it’s business," he said. "It’s nice to be playing against top talents and other English players. It’s great to see. We’ll catch up after the game but all focus will be on getting three points."
Despite the glamour of facing Real Madrid, Dolan believes the key is to avoid making the occasion bigger than it needs to be.
"You don’t want to try and build a game up too much because then, when you get there, all the emotions can kind of eat you up," he said.
Instead, he plans to stick to the routine that has served him well since moving to Spain.
"You focus on yourself as best as you can and make sure that you’re prepared as well as you can," he said. "I like to stay within the same routine and headspace."
That approach reflects how much Dolan has grown since leaving the English Championship for Espanyol.
