Express & Star

Rafa Mir admits difficult start to Wolves life

Rafa Mir admits it was difficult to settle at Wolves and that playing in England was more fun to watch than to play in.

Published

The 21-year-old joined Wolves last January in a £1.5million move from Valencia.

However after just four appearances he was dropped from the squad and then in the summer moved back to Spain with Las Palmas on loan.

"It was difficult for me because I arrived at Christmas with the assembled team, they were first (in the table) and it was difficult for me to enter but I understood it as a learning process, which I fulfilled and understood how everything works there," Mir said.

"It was a big change, from a city like Valencia to a country like England but this change has made me a better player and made me value what we have here as well.

"It's direct football, very physical, very different from what we are used to in Spain and it is more fun for the spectator, although for the players not so much. The defences are very strong."

Mir had been with Valencia since he was six years old and said it was tough to leave the Spanish giants, who are now back in the Champions League.

"It was not an easy time, you never want to go when it’s OK," he added. "I was six years old (when I joined the club) but that was the moment, this is football and you never know what will happen in the future.

"We talked to the club, we wanted confidence from the club and we did not see it. The option to go out was activated and that’s what happened."