Borja Valero spent much of his career in Italy with Fiorentina and Inter, revealing why this was more suitable than the ‘shocking’ impact he had with West Brom and England.
The Spanish midfielder is still playing at the age of 38 for a semi-pro club called CS Lebowski, having left Fiorentina in the summer of 2021.
He also works regularly as a pundit on DAZN and told them about his first experience playing abroad in 2008.
That was the move from RCD Mallorca to West Bromwich Albion, so he went straight from one of the sunniest climates in Spain to the Midlands, near to Birmingham.
“It was easy to settle in Italy, as it is very similar to Spain, but when I went to England that was a shocking impact,” said Borja Valero.
“I arrived late in August, they put me in a hotel on the outskirts of the city and the room was below ground, so out of the window I could just see the wheels of cars driving by.
“It rained for a week straight without stopping. In August. That was shocking. I had just come from Mallorca. It was tough.”
As anyone who has been to West Bromwich or anywhere else in that area knows – it’s truly grim and depressing. Outside of London brexitland is miserable.