The former Atletico Madrid player was convinced about moving to India after he heard great things about FC Goa…
FC Goa‘s Alberto Noguera feels that his move to the Indian Super League (ISL) is a step in the right direction following his stint in the Segunda Division.
“It’s a great honour for me (to play in the ISL) and a great opportunity for me to keep improving. I know it’s a short league but if we make (have) a good pre-season, that will be the secret for our season (success),” he said.
The 30-year-old got a taste of the Spanish league during his time with Atletico Madrid. He played for the C and B teams of the club before making it to the first team.
“They are different leagues (ISL and Segunda Division). The Spanish leagues are different but for me going to Goa (to play in the ISL) is an upgrade, I think, to improve my career. I hope to have a good experience and contribute to improving the league and my team,” Noguera said.
He has spent a season each at English side Blackpool in the Championship and FC Baku in the Azerbaijan Premier League. Alberto, with several years of Spanish football in his pocket, revealed how he was sold the idea of travelling abroad to join the ISL without having watched even a single game of Indian football.
“I think the chance to go out and play football out of Spain was a great experience for me and now I have this opportunity and I take it. I always wanted to travel to new quarters and going to India is a good opportunity for me. I didn’t watch any [ISL] match but I watched some short videos and I think the [level of] football is good and the league looks like it’s improving.
“When the club contacted me, I did my own research and spoke to a few friends who played there (ISL) some years ago. My friends told me magnificent things about the clubs and the country. That was enough for me to be convinced,” he admitted.
The Spaniard is the fifth foreigner to be signed by the club ahead of the seventh season of the ISL and he cannot wait to join the rest of the team, which includes foreigners such as Edu Bedia, Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz and Ivan Gonzalez.
“We (FC Goa) have a lot of Spanish players and I think it will make it easier for us to play together and make us (work) as a team. I think we are prepared to compete in the AFC Champions League. We just need to start training together and it will be good for us.
“Like always, I will try to train hard and be fit to play all the matches as soon as possible. I will take a direct approach and score as many [goals] as I can. I will try my best like all players,” he promised.
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