Sunderland centre-back Papy Djilobodji has revealed he has not given up on his dream of playing for Real Madrid, as he looks to get his career back on track this season.
The 28-year-old struggled to make an impact with Sunderland last term as the Black Cats slid out of the Premier League.
Djilobodji was keen to move on and in the summer sealed a season-long loan switch back to France, joining Ligue 1 side Dijon; the defender left France to sign for Chelsea in 2015.
The Senegal international knows he must get back to playing on a regular basis, but despite not succeeding in England, is still dreaming of one day earning a move to Real Madrid.
He managed just 59 seconds of football for Chelsea, a source of criticism, but has not been affected by the experience and told France Football: "Honestly, no. That kind of thing [criticism] does not affect me.
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"I know my qualities.
"I do not think about others too much. I am only interested in my work.
"You need to go forward. And why not aim for Real Madrid?
"Yes, that's my dream.
"One must have dreams in life and then work [for them]."
And on why Real Madrid, he added: "I've always supported this team."
Djilobodji made his Dijon debut against Caen in Ligue 1, playing all 90 minutes of a 2-1 defeat and picking up a booking.
He made one appearance for Sunderland before sealing his loan move to France, with 90 minutes played in a win against Carlisle United in the EFL Cup.
