Villa excited ahead of return from injury

Barcelona forward David Villa has reiterated his desire to get back to full training after missing the last six months with a broken tibia.

Villa suffered the leg injury in the World Club Cup last December and just failed to prove his fitness in time to be included in Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad for the European Championship.

However, he now feels ready to go and is desperate for pre-season training to begin.

He told Mundo Deportivo: "This is the summer I have most desire for the holidays to end and to be able to go to work already. It is also the summer I have enjoyed least.

"I have passed a check-up with the Barcelona doctors and I am desperate to return to normal training with my team-mates, not training separately."

Villa was also full of praise for his national colleagues after they retained the European Championship trophy.

"We have to be proud of this team," he added. "You can play better or worse but this team always shows face. They are the only ones that have been capable of winning three consecutive major titles."