OMNISPORT 

Jesus Vallejo has vowed to repay the faith shown in him by Real Madrid with performances on the pitch after he was handed Pepe's former number three shirt.

The 20-year-old defender was bought by Madrid in 2015 but spent the following campaign on loan at former club Real Zaragoza.

Last term he was loaned out to Eintracht Frankfurt and made 25 appearances as they finished 11th in the Bundesliga.

He will finally get his chance at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2017-18, though, and steps into the shoes of Pepe - who completed a free transfer to Besiktas earlier this week.

"Thank you very much to the president and the club, who have shown great confidence in me when they signed me two years ago," Vallejo said on Friday.

"Since then I have wanted to repay that trust. I still have a long way to go.

"With humility, work, effort and sacrifice I hope to be here for many years, because this is the best club in the world.

"I am very happy to take the responsibility [of playing for Madrid]. I will give everything for this badge and this shirt. Hala Madrid."

Madrid president Florentino Perez congratulated the defender for making the step up to the first team, and backed him to be a success for Zinedine Zidane's side.

"This team, with the best coach in the world, has achieved a double and the second consecutive Champions League [titles]," said the president.

"We have a great staff, but we want to take it one step further. For some years now Real Madrid has incorporated talented young players, with great projection, today we present one of those players, 20 years old, with enough quality to play in Real Madrid."