3/1 To Win
New signing says he is going to everything he can to repay Derby County's efforts to bring him to the Club
New signing says he is going to everything he can to repay Derby County's efforts to bring him to the Club
RAUL ALBENTOSA says that it has always been a dream of his to play in England and is going to do ‘everything he can’ to repay Derby County for their efforts to bring him into the iPro Stadium.
The 26-year-old Spanish centre half has joined the Rams on a two-and-a-half year deal after his departure from La Liga outfit Eibar earlier this week.
Speaking in his first interview, Albentosa admitted that current Rams midfielder, Omar Mascarell, paid a glowing reference to the club and after seeing the facilities around the club himself, has been left taken back.
Speaking to Rams Player, he said: “My agents told me about interest from the club and I knew straight away that it was a good opportunity for me.
“I spoke to my wife and we said that it was a good option for the next stage of my career.
“This place is much different from Spain. There is a big football culture over here; I am very impressed with everything about the club.
“The facilities are beautiful and I am hugely impressed by what I have seen.
“First of all, I am the type of player who is going to work hard. I am going to work hard to show the Head Coach what type of player that I am and I am going to fight to try and get a position in his squad.
“I want to show everybody that I am committed to Derby.
“A friend of mine, Jota, plays over here for Brentford and he spoke about a lot Derby and the Championship and he spoke with great enthusiasm. He said it’s a fantastic place to play football.
“I have also spoken to Omar (Mascarell) about this move and we had a really good chat about it. Omar said that I should really sign for the club. He said it’s a great club.
“I am very proud to be here. It’s always been a dream of mine to come and play in England and I am going to do everything to say thank you to the people that brought me here and gave this chance.”
After completing his deal to move to the iPro Stadium, Albentosa will watch from the stands when his new team mates lock horns with Nottingham Forest in the latest instalment of the East Midlands derby.
Derby’s latest recruit admits that he is looking for his first intake of the fixture, but wishes that he could have been involved.
He added: “I am really looking forward to tomorrow. I wish I could of come here a little earlier so I could have my new team mates sooner and maybe even helped out a little bit.
“I am going to nervous in the stands watching, but at the same time, I am really looking forward to it.”
In one final message, the defender says that he will be aiming to help his new club achieve their aims by helping them gain promotion to the Barclays Premier league.
“I want to say that I my first thought was not to come here because I want to play in the Premier League.
“It was to come and play for Derby and during the next four or five months, I am going to work hard to help them achieve their goals come the end of the season.”
