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Soccer News of Wednesday, 5 August 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

People tried to tarnish my image at Valencia - Ferran Torres on joining City

Ferran Toress (img credit: Goal) Ferran Toress (img credit: Goal)

Ferran Torres has revealed the circumstances that made him decide to leave Valencia to join English Premier League side, Manchester City.

The Spaniard who joined City on a £21 million deal said that he was told that he was Valencia's fifth choice for a winger.

Torres also said that "there are people within the club and a few journalists" who were "determined to damage" his image.

When asked on when he finally decided to leave the Spanish side, he told Marca: "I started thinking about it last summer after the European Under-19 Championship. The club told me personally that they weren't counting on me. They literally said that I was the fifth winger in the squad, that reinforcements were coming and other players from other positions were ahead of me.

"It was a very hard blow for me, but what was worse was that they even put me on the market and offered me to teams in Spain. There were calls from 12 La Liga clubs, including Levante and one Segunda Division club. That's when I started thinking about leaving.

"The problem is that there are people within the club and a few journalists who are determined to damage my image. I don't want to leave on bad terms because I'm a Valencia fan.

"When the club decided to put me in the first team I began to come under pressure and criticism. It wasn't just me, but they wanted to harm my representatives and my family.

"The same people who now campaign against me said then that I would fail, which hurt a lot at 17. I have to say that there were other journalists who treated me with love and respect. There are, though, club employees working to smear my image.

"I'm sure I can [return to Valencia one day]. I refuse to think otherwise. Even if there are crooked people. A lot of them won't be there in a few years and I'll have shown that I deserve to return."