Birmingham City midfielder Fran Villalba says he was ‘very happy’ to get an offer from Almería to leave the club in January.
Vilalba originally arrived at Birmingham last summer from Valencia, having fallen down the pecking order at the Spanish club.
He initially made an immediate impact at St Andrew’s, becoming a regular under Pep Clotet at the beginning of the season.
By December, though, he had found himself out of favour, managing just one game, a 3-09 loss to Hull City, that month and then being left out of the squad for the entirety of January.
He departed the club on the 27th January when LaLiga 2 side Almería came calling, signing him on loan until the end of the season.
He’s been a regular for them since and admits jumping at the chance, adding he is hoping his stay can be extended beyond this summer.
“I was very happy when I got the offer at Christmas,” he told Diario Almería.
“From the first minute, I wanted to come here because the project is spectacular.
“Both the boss and the management have welcomed me very well from the first minute.
“I have felt comfortable, I have tried to adapt as quickly as possible, and I think I am already. I hope that it goes further.”
