Arnau Puigmal hits 150 games: ‘I’ll give everything for this badge’
The UD Almería winger reflects on his special bond with the Andalusian Club and eyes crucial top-of-the-table showdown against Racing Santander
Arnau Puigmal reached 150 UD Almería appearances last weekend and spoke to UDA Radio about what the milestone means to him: ‘It’s my 5th year here and when I look back I see a kid arriving. I’m still young, but I’ve grown a lot. I’m not from here, but from day one I felt something special with UD Almería and its fans,’ he said.
The winger added: ‘I can’t promise the perfect cross or a top-corner finish, but I can promise I’ll give everything for this badge and this team.’
Puigmal also spoke about his personal and professional growth: ‘I’m still the same crazy, joking guy because that’s part of me, but I’ve obviously matured and settled down (laughs). I always try to bring joy to the group because that’s just who I am. I’m very transparent when I’m happy or sad. I’m not the only one like that in the squad, by the way.’
Looking ahead to Sunday’s big game at El Sardinero Stadium against Racing Santander, the Barcelona-born remained calm: ‘It’s just another match, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Of course, they’re top of the table and we know that, but we want to win just like we have in previous games and the ones to come. Aren’t Málaga CF and Burgos CF direct rivals too? If we happen to beat Racing Santander but not the others, it doesn’t mean much. We’re going there with the same desire to win as always.’
The 25-year-old central midfielder also highlighted his team’s strong momentum heading into the decisive stage of the season: ‘This is the best part of the competition. This is the business end of the season.'