García: ‘Tremendous honour’ to play for Villa

Andrés García described a feeling of “tremendous honour” after becoming Aston Villa’s second signing of the January transfer window on Tuesday.

The Spanish right-back arrived from Segunda División outfit Levante for an undisclosed fee, following last week’s capture of Dutch winger Donyell Malen.

And in his first interview as a Villan, García admitted it was a “dream” to play for the club, and he is looking forward to the challenge.

The 21-year-old said: “I think it’s the dream that every footballer has, and it’s a huge step for me which I’m facing with excitement and, above all, with lots of respect towards the club.

“I would say that, (with) the qualities I have as a footballer, the traits, I think the Premier League is the ideal league for the way I play.

“To be able to achieve this at only 21-years-old, it’s a really proud moment for me, as well as a challenge, and to be able to learn from the players that are here in the club is going to be really good for me, and a big step.

“There are players here with great careers, with lots of quality. It’s a challenge for me, but I’m excited to face it.

“For me, it’s a tremendous honour to be able to defend these colours, and I’m looking forward to the moment to be able to do that.”

Speaking on what attracted him to Villa, García cited the pull of Unai Emery and a healthy Spanish contingent already in the dressing room as key factors.

He revealed he shared a conversation with fellow Spaniard Pau Torres, who spoke positively of the club and environment, and admitted he is looking forward to starting work alongside his new colleagues.

“He (Emery) is a coach I’ve been following for a long time, because he has an amazing career,” García added.

“He’s been with various Spanish teams, which has allowed me to watch some of his games with his previous clubs, like Sevilla and Valencia. I’ve seen lots of him.

“He’s a coach that teaches his players a lot, full of determination. When he has an idea, he won’t stop until he fulfils it.

“And I think we have things in common, especially how we work, so I think he’s going to be a coach that teaches me a lot, and I’m excited to play my part, of course.

“To be surrounded by Spanish people, especially to be able to communicate, is really important.

“I spoke to Pau, we were speaking to him. We asked him what the city was like, what the club was like, and he told us it was wonderful.

“Knowing these kind of things, and knowing that Unai’s coaching staff speak Spanish, it was a no brainer. I said this was the best option from the start.”

You can watch Andrés' first interview as a Villan below...