The young defender from Vila-real relives his debut and experiences with the Spanish national team
The excitement of a whole town. Pau Torres debuted with the Spanish national team when he came on in the 61st minute of the game, which took place at the Ramón de Carranza. The young defender from Vila-real became the first player from the town to make an appearance for the national team.
As if that were not enough, the excitement was only accentuated when Pau Torres scored just a minute after coming onto the pitch, using his chest for his his first touch from a corner to push the ball into the back of the net. “I got a bit lucky. As soon as I came on, we had a corner and I was happy to put the second ball into the back of the net at the far post. I just had to caress it in. It was a special moment and I was so happy. The debut itself was very important, but scoring a goal as well was the icing on the cake,” recalls the Yellows No.4.
Despite only featuring late on in the international break, Pau Torres already knew that he was going to receive the call up from the Spanish national team. Last October, although he didn’t play, he was in Robert Moreno’s squad for the games against Norway and Sweden for Euro 2020 qualification: “This time I was much more relaxed because I already knew about Las Rozas, the group and the coach’s way of working. I was really looking forward to the matches. I knew I could make the most of my opportunity and that’s what I did.”
Among the Spanish fans in the Ramón de Carranza, was Pau’s family, who didn’t want to miss him making history with the national team: “They came to see me in Cádiz. It will be a moment that I never forget. My Villarreal team-mates helped me a lot so that I could come off the pitch calmly. Cazorla spoke to me in a relaxed tone before I came onto the pitch. Things are going well for me and I am proud to represent my people, who always show their love for me. ”
Finally, focusing on the next game for Villarreal CF against RC Celta, Pau Torres hopes to get a win for the Yellows fans: “In Mallorca we were not up to scratch. Now we’re playing at home again, with our fans, where we have been strong. We have to play a good game against Celta. They are a team with great players that will try and make things difficult for us. Within their setup, they have a good group of coaches and people higher up. Despite this, we are looking forward to it. We know we have to be at the highest level to get all three points. ”
To see the interview with Pau Torres via Villarreal TV (in Spanish), just click on the play button.
