Aston Villa defender Andres Garcia has revealed he felt “tremendously liberated” when the club signed him in the January transfer window.
Super Deporte have an interview with the Aston Villa full-back today in which he discusses his move in January.
The young defender joined Aston Villa in a €7m deal from Levante towards the end of the January transfer window.
The Villans had been watching him for some time but were forced to make their move when Sporting Club de Portugal jumped ahead of them and tried to sign the 22-year-old.
That kicked off a week of back and forth between the various parties that ultimately saw Aston Villa come out on top and the defender head to Birmingham in a deal that could eventually cost €10m.
It was a whirlwind period for the defender, who admits that he was left with a feeling of tremendous relief once everything was finalised.
“My agents told me there was interest from Aston Villa, but nothing further,” he said.
“However, shortly after, Sporting Club de Portugal presented an offer to Levante, and what were then a chaotic few days began. They kept me out of training because they wanted to finalize the deal, and that’s when I started preparing for what was to come.
“Especially on a mental level, because they were very nervous days, and I didn’t know what would happen to my life. It was a week of being with my parents, my family, and those closest to me.
“Fortunately, things are going well now. However, when Aston Villa accepted the offer, I felt tremendously liberated. All parties agreed that it was the best option and the decision that had to be made.
“The Levante board and Danvila also thought it was the most suitable move, as the amounts were beneficial to their finances. They wanted me to stay on loan, but that’s how things ended up.”
The move to Aston Villa while exciting given their current upward trajectory and exciting future ahead of them, did however come tinged with sadness.
It meant bringing an end to a long association with Levante, where he had played his way through the various youth levels into the first team and was a key member of their push for promotion this season.
And Garcia is happy to admit he was sorry to leave, having dreamed of being a part of that promotion party.
“It hurt me not to continue because I felt I could miss out on something I’d dreamed of since the day preseason started,” he added.
“After the first half of the season, seeing the team’s dynamic, the only thing on my mind was achieving promotion with Levante and enjoying it.
“I wish I was still living it, but, according to my philosophy, things happen for a reason. It was a decision made between clubs, each looking out for their own interests, and everyone ended up happy. I was incredibly sad to leave, even though it meant achieving a dream I’d fought for for a long time. However, there were many mixed feelings. Levante is my home.”
