FORLAN REFLECTS

Last updated : 16 June 2005 By Editor

"I'll never forget Sir Alex Ferguson. His name is synonymous with Manchester United. Despite the fact that it's such a huge club, it is also a family. I know a lot of people won't believe me when I say this, but I really enjoyed being part of the United family. Everyone is very close-knit. I have nothing but good words for the supporters and the people at the club for the way they treated me.

"Hopefully they feel happy for me right now, and United can take some of the credit for what I've achieved in Spain this season, because the things I learnt in Manchester was, in some ways, a positive experience that has contributed to my success. If Manchester United could appear at the El Madrigal it would be a fantastic experience for me. I respect all teams, but Manchester United is a very, very big club. I know that I am going to go back to England one day ... and I would like it to be to United.

"I have to admit that I'm surprised that my first season in Spain went so well. I never expected to score so many goals so soon. Being in a small town like this is great for me, and I love the fact that I've helped Villareal make history by reaching the Champions League. Becoming top scorer in Europe would have been worth nothing to me if we'd failed to gain a place in the Champions League. That is the thing I feel happiest about right now. I'm not trying to make excuses, but the language barrier was definitely part of the problem for me. But there was also the fact that everything happened so quickly. As soon as I arrived at United, all the fans seemed to expect me to score two goals a game.

"There was a lot of pressure and it got to me. I'll never forget Sir Alex Ferguson. At Christmas, everyone was invited to a dinner, and the manager and his coaching staff all worked as waiters. I was served by Ferguson himself. Nobody back home believes me when I tell them this. There were lots of players with monster reputations at the club, and I was the last one in the queue. I didn't get enough time on the pitch to prove my quality. That was very tough for me. At Villareal nobody rushed me. The coach, Manuel Pellegrini was very calm and he wasn't in a hurry for me to score, simply because the supporters weren't in a hurry. Obviously I have been given more time on the pitch at Villareal, but also, I have not put myself under so much pressure here. And I think that is part of the reason why I have scored so many goals."