Vallejo: “Gracia is a great coach, with great staff and clear ideas”

Manu Vallejo started preseason in the best way possible, scoring against CD Castellón in the first friendly of the summer. Enjoying working under Javi Gracia and with his injury problems of 2019/20 firmly behind him, the striker talked to VCF Media about the first weeks of preparation for the campaign ahead.

Feeling good

“It's always good to start off with a good feeling. I think that we've played well in our first three games. We're doing a lot of running and we're being prepared to perform well for the maximum time possible during a game.”

Raring to go

“I feel good and I'm really looking forward to things. I'm very happy here, I like my teammates and I'm enjoying myself. In the end, that's what a player looks to do: Enjoy themselves, work hard and give their all. Things can go well or not, but we have to give our all, work hard and be motivated. That's the least you can ask of a footballer. If the ball then goes in, then all the better.”

Javi Gracia as a coach

“Since he arrived, the coach has been very clear in his ideas. He's a great coach and has great staff. I think that they work together very well. Each person is helping as much as possible and they are getting the best performance from us. That's what is needed for the team to win.

“He's very 'hands-on' and so are his staff. I think that they look at every aspect and that's important.

“He wanted to start from the ground up, focusing on keeping as many clean sheets as possible. That's what is going to take us closer to winning in every game.”

Perspective on the coming season

“We have a good team. Valencia CF always have a good team. It's true that some big players have left, but those of us who are here can replace them with hard work and desire. We're going to try to do everything possible to perform well and give our all, so that the Valencia CF fans can be happier, despite what is happening in the world. We have to adapt and try to make people happy; even though they can't be at Mestalla, we want them to celebrate victories at home.”