Former Aston Villa winger Jota Peleteiro is loving life at Alaves after leaving the Premier League and returning to La Liga, speaking to AS.
Jota’s Villa career was short and not especially sweet.
The Midlands giants paid £6 million to sign the Spanish schemer from neighbours Birmingham City in summer 2019 but, despite starting last season in Dean Smith’s XI, he quickly fell out of favour.
Aston Villa terminated Jota’s contract in October and he has started more games for his new club in two months than he did during a whole year in the Premier League.
No wonder the former Brentford talisman feels rejuvenated back in his native Spain having joined fellow Premier League players Lucas Perez and Joselu at Deportivo Alaves.
“I am very happy. From the beginning, I had a very good reception and a great ‘feeling’. It was like a fresh start,” says Jota, who featured in Alaves’ sensational 2-1 win away at Real Madrid on Saturday.
“I wanted a new stage, a change of scene. Spain is my home – but it’s not that it was bad in England either. I was looking for something that caught my attention, that motivated me. And of all the possibilities there were, this was the one that did it the most.”
29-year-old Jota believes he also shares a few things in common with Mesut Ozil – and not just because they both struggled for game time in the English top flight last term.
“I am (similar to Mesut) Ozil. He is a reference for me. I have been lucky to train with (Real Madrid),” Jota adds. “(Ozil) is no longer in Madrid – a shame. He has always seemed like a world star to me.”
Since Jota’s departure, Trezeguet and summer signing Bertrand Traore have been fighting to secure a spot on the right-hand side of Aston Villa’s front line.
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