Juan Villar: ‘I'm going to become the best version of myself’
The 33-year-old right-winger assured that the pre-season is a great time for the players to get to know each other
If pre-season preparations are great, the team will be on top of its game in the league afterwards. UD Almería striker Juan Villar expressed in a chat with the Club's official media the importance of doing things well during the pre-season in order to enjoy the championship afterwards: ‘After recharging batteries and breaking up the daily routine is now when we’ve got to pull our socks up because match fitness is essential for us if we want to do well next season. The coaching staff have everything under control. They’re all very methodical. We’re going to start off the campaign in the best possible shape. I spent my holidays with my family and from now on we must feel good both physically and mentally for the beginning of the season.’
There is a little more than a month to go until the 2021/22 LaLiga SmartBank kicks off and there are quite a few changes compared to last campaign: ‘We’re gradually getting back to normal and that will also influence football strongly. For instance, we’re not split in groups for training and we can all be together at the moment. My wish is that the pandemic let us make the most of this summer’s pre-season. I’m hoping that the fans can be in the stands cheering us on from the very beginning. Last year, everything was rather messy. We couldn’t spend much time together, but now we’ve been given some freedom always following recommendations. That means that we’ll be able to get to know each other better. This is a fact that comes in handy within Segunda Division. Getting on with your team-mates is vital,’ explains Juan Villar.
The Aroche-born centre-forward highlighted the qualities of the first signings made over this summer transfer window: ‘It’s necessary to have this type of experienced footballers who know all the secrets of the Spanish Segunda Division, especially when the team goes through a bad patch because they’re the ones who lead the pack and push forward,’ stressed Juan Villar. Meanwhile, he hopes to be a great signing for the 2021/22 season, too: ‘For some reason, I couldn’t contribute to the team as much as I would’ve liked last campaign. Sometimes, it just happens regardless of the fact that I quarantined twice, I got Covid and then I sustained some injuries. Anyway, I truly hope to do my very best and become the best version of Juan Villar since it’s a new season. I’ve been competing in Segunda Division for more than 10 years and I’ve always scored goals, 10 or 15 goals a year on average. Even though I didn’t manage to score that many last season, I believe that I can contribute a lot to the squad.’
On another note, a lot of UD Almeria fans have been queuing up to renew their Season Tickets: ‘People are really excited to come into the stadium to give us strength so we can enjoy a good season. We’ll achieve good results to do them proud in return for their support. It is not the same playing in front of supporters than without. It's definitely going to be really nice to welcome fans back in the stands again.’