Interview

Suarez - The biggest challenge I've overcome

Denis Suarez may be at a new club, but he already has two years of experience under his belt in English football.

After graduating from Celta Vigo’s academy, the Spanish midfielder moved to Manchester City in 2011 and went on to make two first-team appearances in the League Cup.

“I spent my whole career at Celta, until I got to youth level and joined Manchester City,” he told Arsenal Player. “I had another offer from Barcelona but the City move was good for me and for the club. I decided to accept the move for me and for the good of Celta, who needed the money. That’s how it happened.

 

“I was 17 when I went to Manchester and then made my first-team debut in the cup at the age of 18. I think that was the biggest challenge – to make my debut at such a young age, in a Manchester City side packed with stars, in country where the football is so physical. I was just a kid – but that was the first step.

“I was training with them basically every day. I played for the youth side but to make my debut at the age of 18 for a team like Manchester City, who had players like Aguero, Silva and Yaya Toure, players who I was used to watching on television… I was just a kid.

 

“After that I went to Barcelona, where I played for Barcelona B, who play in the professional leagues. I had a great season in the second division and we ended up finishing third. After that, I made the step up to the elite level at Sevilla, where my first coach was Unai Emery, who is obviously my coach right now.”