Interviews
LUN 26.12.2016
Question: How do you feel about having extended your contract until 2022?
Answer: I'm really happy because the club has put a lot of faith in me with this new contract. I've signed a long-term deal; the board have highly ambitious plans and consider me part of them. I'm delighted to remain at such a great club.
Q: This great news is testament to the fact that your knee injuries are very much in the past. You have conceded the fewest goals out of all the keepers in LaLiga and your sights are firmly set on the future. But did you have doubts while you were sidelined about whether you'd ever get back to your best?
A: I never thought that way. Obviously you never see injuries coming, but in my case every time I was out, I was intent on proving to myself that I could be the same player again and even improve my performances. They were long injury layoffs and obviously I had some tough times, but I'm a person who always tries to take away the positives and I used it as an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. You've got to have ambition in life, goals, and mine was to prove to myself that I could perform at a very high level in the most competitive league in the world. I've done just that.
Q: Despite having to rebuild every year, Villarreal remain a top club. What's your take on this ability to slot in new pieces of the jigsaw every season?
A: The sporting directors deserve a great deal of credit because they do a fabulous job to enable the club to reinvent itself every summer. Granted, there is a very strong core group of players, myself included, who have been here for four or five years and have been involved in gaining promotion and then competing in the top flight ever since, and whenever someone new comes in we do everything in our power to help them adapt to our requirements as quickly as possible. It's not at all easy, but the club works wonders and every year shrewd signings are brought in.
Q: It seemed like Marcelino's exit was going to leave an unfillable gap at the club. However, under new coach Fran Escriba you have only lost one league match at El Madrigal and you've finished the year in the Champions League places. How would you describe him?
A: Although we had a tough summer because of Marcelino's sacking, I was convinced that Fran, whom I knew very well from my spell at Atletico Madrid, would do a great job. Since arriving he's managed to inject added motivation into the team and I think the numbers show how well Villarreal are performing in LaLiga. If I had to pick out something about Fran, it'd be the fact that he's a gaffer who says things to your face and who tries to get the best out of every player. We're all really happy under him and fingers crossed we'll keep it up through to the end of the season.
Q: So, is your aim to finish in the Champions League places?
A: You've got to have ambitious targets. We know it won't be easy because there are a lot of strong teams vying for that precious fourth spot this year, but here's hoping that by the time May comes around, we're still in with a shot of qualifying for the Champions League.
Q: Before that, though, your biggest challenge at hand where Europe is concerned is to knock out a formidable Roma side in the Europa League round of 32. What's been said about the Italian club within the Yellow Submarine dressing room?
A: We're still in Europe and we all want to be involved in these sorts of matches, especially when it's against a club with the rich history that Roma have. There's no denying that we've been pitted against one of the toughest opponents we could have drawn, but we had some extremely tough draws last year and we made it to the semi-finals, so against Roma we'll just try to play our game to the best of our ability in order to go through.
Q: If we were to mention the words World Cup, Russia and 2018, what comes to mind?
A: To be in with a chance of being called up by the national team, it's a case of putting the work in, battling hard and doing a good job for Villarreal. If I'm to be considered by [Julen] Lopetegui for the World Cup, it's important to make sure that my performances at club level are excellent. That said, it's all a long way off yet and I just have to concentrate on taking things one step at a time, as I look to improve my game day by day.
Q: If you were to go to the World Cup, I'm sure you'd want Bruno Soriano and Manu Trigueros to be named in that squad with you, wouldn't you? Especially seeing as Trigueros is currently in the goalscoring form of his life in both LaLiga and the Europa League…
A: Bruno and Manu are the main men for us and are the leaders in our dressing room. This season, Trigueros has made impressive strides and is really expressing himself out on the pitch, making a big contribution with his overall game and his goals. There's no doubt that he has bags of potential to improve here at Villarreal and who's to say that he can't play for the national team too? The club has shown just how important he is by offering him a renewed deal, guaranteeing them the services of a fine footballer for many years to come.
Q: Which of the club's signings have really caught your eye this season?
A: All of them have settled in really well, but I would have to go with [Nicola] Sansone and Roberto Soriano. When they first came to the club, they had us all laughing when in their first training session we heard them speaking to each other in German, when we all expected them to communicate in Italian. As it happens, both of them were born in Germany and came up through the ranks at the Bayern Munich academy.
Q: What about Alexandre Pato?
A: He's also bedded in seamlessly. Pato is a player with great standing in world football and right from the off, he has rolled his sleeves up and proved that he's just as willing as everyone else to put the effort in. The togetherness within this squad is really strong and that shows out on the pitch.
Q: Whilst at just 27 you still have many years ahead of you, do you see yourself ending your career at Villarreal?
A: The president, Fernando Roig, has said to me that he hopes I retire here. The club did everything to bring me here at what was a difficult time in my career and I consider Villarreal my home. I'm now into my fourth season here and hope that there are many more to come.
Q: Finally, what are your hopes for 2017?
A: Above all, that I manage to steer clear of injuries, so as to allow me to keep on enjoying each and every training session and game, whenever I'm called upon by the coach. I want to continue to be happy doing what I most enjoy, which is taking my place between the sticks for Villarreal. It'll be down to me to put the hard work in and show all of my ambition.
© LALIGA - 2016