Cazorla hopes for eventual return to Villarreal

Matt Stead

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla hopes to return to former club Villarreal towards the end of his career.

Cazorla has enjoyed two separate spells at Villarreal, first playing for the Yellow Submarine from 2003 to 2006, where he helped the club finish fourth in La Liga before reaching the Champions League semi-finals in his final years, where Villarreal were eventually beaten by Arsenal.

The Spanish midfielder left to join Recreativo for a year, but returned to Villarreal in 2007 and spent four more years at the club.

Cazorla, who joined Arsenal from Malaga in 2012, hopes to once again return to Villarreal later in his career.

“I would not rule out returning to Villarreal [at some point],” the midfielder, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since November, told AS. “Everyone knows how special that club is for me.

“If I get permission from my club I will be attending the Europa League semi-final second leg at Anfield, as another ‘groguet‘ [‘yellow’] supporter.”