Nilmar feted at Villareal

Spanish Primera Liga side Villareal on Friday presented their new Brazilian player Nilmar da Silva, the most expensive signing in their history.

The club signed Nilmar last week to a five-year contract from Brazilian club Internacional de Purto Alegre for a reported fee of over 10 million euros.

“I know that my signing was one of the biggest efforts in the club’s history,” the 25-year-old striker told a news conference.

“I am filled with pride and responsibility… I know that I here to score and help the team and my hope is win a title.”

He described the negotiations that brought him to Villareal as “difficult.”

“But I was always very excited about playing in Spain because it is similar to Brazilian football,” he said.

He said he already knew Villareal’s Brazilian-born player Marcos Senna, “and I know that a title is needed and they will fight for it. That was an incentive to come here.”

He also spoke about his time at French side Lyon in the 2004-05 season.

“It was my first experience in Europe and it was difficult to adapt because I was very young, but I still got goals … This experience helped me a lot to know what it means to play outside Brazil.”

After the news conference, some 4,000 fans greeted him at El Madrigal stadium.

Villareal finished fifth in the Primera Liga last season, missing out on a Champions League spot but gaining a place in the Europa league.

Nilmar’s presentation had originally been set for Thursday but was postponed by one day after he missed a connecting flight from Brazil.