Herrerín: “I’m here to help and to compete”

Iago Herrerín signed for Valencia CF this Wednesday, and after putting pen to paper on his contract he sat down with VCF Media to explain his impressions of the club and his objectives for the year.

Returning to LaLiga

The commitment from the club to me was important, as was returning to the top level in Europe. That was what I was looking for, and I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by.

Offers from abroad
I had been talking to other clubs outside of Spain, because there was a lot of interest. However, as it turned out, when Jaume got injured -which nobody likes to see- I was told that there might be the option of joining Valencia CF. The extent of his injury wasn't known yet, but we were told that there might be the chance to come in on trial first of all, then maybe sign.

Adding to the team

Commitment is the first thing. I think that all of the coaches I've had -including Marcelino, who also coached here- have put that into my head. They've shown me how to act in the dressing room. I'm a person who puts the dressing room above the individual, always. I've never sulked because I've not played, and I've tried to help instead. When all of us goalkeepers are fit and there is a lot of competition, the team are at our best. That's what I've come here to do: Push hard, help and try to compete -which is what everybody wants to do.

The dressing room atmosphere

Playing in Spain, you get to know a lot of people from the dressing room and the club. They've been great to me from the start. My teammates, the physios and the coaching staff have been great. I'm really happy to have come here and found a group that is so open and supportive all the time. I'm happy. Being here is a privilege for me.

Personal and collective goals

Obviously there are team objectives and personal objectives. The team want to do everything as well as possible. We've been saying that the nice thing would be to win a trophy for any club, and it would be beautiful to do that for this club -as well as finishing as high up the table as possible. On a personal level,

I want to feel like an elite level footballer again, because when you are far away it's more difficult to perform at the highest level. I definitely want to compete, which is what every athlete wants to do. However, it's always with respect and looking to help my teammates and the team.

His experiences of Mestalla

When I was here with  Athletic Club, the fans spurred their team on a lot. I'll always remember the Europa League game, in which Valencia CF went ahead very early on. We had a tough time, and they are fans who apply a lot of pressure. That's good. Both the team and the staff need that all the time, and it helps you get through difficult moments and achieve big objectives.