Alba happy to return home to Barca

Posted Saturday, July 07, 2012 by ESPN

Barcelona's new signing Jordia Alba has revealed his delight at moving back to the club he played for as a boy.

After a triumphant Euro 2012 campaign with Spain, Alba continued his celebrations when his move to Barcelona was officially announced by the club yesterday [Thursday]. Speaking to Barcelona's official website, the Spaniard shared his joy at returning to the team of his youth.

"I'm happy to come home, with my family and my people. I've realised my dream," Alba said.

Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu also declared his happiness at Alba's move, having pursued the full-back's signature since the turn of the year. The club's football director Andoni Zubuizarreta described the key attributes Alba possessed that convinced Barcelona to make their move.

"He has excellent technical ability. He's good with both feet, he can play in different positions and he's enormously competitive," he stated.

The former Valencia player was released from the Catalan club's youth ranks in 2005. While Alba admitted that leaving Barcelona seven years ago was not easy, his time away from the Camp Nou has helped him evolve as a player.

"No one likes to hear that they have to leave, but my conscience was clear and I left with my head held high. I believed in myself," he shared.

"I'm going to play for the best team in the world and I want to adapt as quickly as possible. I know the philosophy and most of the players. I've changed the way I play, before I was a striker and now I'm a left back or an attacking midfielder."