Adelaide United’s newest signing, Miguel Palanca, has said he is eager to begin his career with the Reds and is hoping to help the club continue their successful 2014/15 season.
“I’m very happy to be here with Adelaide United and I can’t wait to show that on the pitch,” Palanca said.
“It is something that was in my mind before and this was a great opportunity to experience football outside of Spain.
“I knew about Adelaide after I spoke with Josep about possibly moving here and from there I started to follow the team. I saw that the club had started the season well and also won a trophy, but I also have a good relationship with Isaías and played football with him when we were young.
“I’m here to try and play the best I can and I am already fit from playing in Spain, so I am ready to go. I don’t know about all of the teams in the A-League, but I’m here to help our team progress.”
Palanca, who has been given the No. 19 to wear for the reds, was described by his new coach Josep Gombau, as having an invaluable level of experience, which is something that will help to improve the entire squad.
“Miguel is a player that has a lot of experience. I saw him and I knew of him from when he was young and a player at Espanyol because at the time I was coaching at Barcelona.
“He’s a player that has big experience in La Liga for Real Madrid and also in Segunda División and has played a lot of games there.
“It’s not easy to play at this level in Spain and for us to have him is something that is important. We are confident that he will improve the level of the team and for this reason we have brought him to the club.”
Speaking with regard to the Reds’ next match against Central Coast Mariners on February 7, Gombau stated that Palanca is definitely in contention to make his debut.
“It’s the normal process that he needs to rest and get over his jetlag and then to learn the way that we are playing.
“If he feels ready and I think he is ready from the trainings that we will have, he will play this week (against Central Coast). If not, we will wait because in the end what I like as a coach is not to rush because the most important thing is not to be risking injuries or things like that.
“You always expect that the player that you bring in will be one of the best players that you have in the squad and be also an important player in all the league, but we need to go step by step.
“We’re trying to take on this second half of the season with power and try to work week by week, but we want to be in the finals and also the grand final if possible.”
Adelaide United will play Central Coast Mariners in Round 16 of the Hyundai A-league 2014/15 season on Saturday, 7 February at Central Coast Stadium. Kick off at 4.30pm ACDT.
