Describing signing for Valencia is ‘a dream come true’ Aly Cissokho has revealed that the strong French presence in the dressing convinced him to join.
The France left back moved to Los Che from Lyon last week, turning down reported offers from Newcastle, Inter, Juventus and Manchester United.
“When I was I child I dreamt of playing for one of the best teams in one of the best Leagues in the world and clearly signing for Valencia meets both requirements,” he enthused in an interview with Superdeporte today.
“Every player in the world would love to wear the famous black and white jersey. I'm a football fanatic, I watch a lot of football on television and last year I watched Valencia, Real Madrid and Barcelona a lot, as well as the Premier League.
“I'm passionate about football, I know about nearly every player and so I know a lot about Valencia.”
The 24-year-old then reflected on the strength that he sees in his new team.
“I think this is a great team, full of brilliant players and a number of international players. There are also players with heaps of experience and who have played for the club for many years, such as David Albelda.
“There are also players like Jonas and Roberto Soldado, two excellent goalscorers, and of course we're strong at the back with players like Adil Rami and Ricardo Costa.
“We can be a solid team who will cause others a lot of problems with the quality of attacking players we have.
“I like the way the team plays football, they're a strong team, solid at the back and with a lot of quality in attack. They've got a great stadium and a lot of loyal fans, I couldn't have asked for more.”
Cissokho also revealed that his friend Adil Rami convinced him to join the club
“I've spoken a lot with Rami. As soon as I found out Valencia were interested in me I sent him messages and we spoke on the telephone.
“He told me many great things about the club and the city, he told me that Valencia were like a Superclub.”
There are two further Frenchmen at the club, Jeremy Mathieu and Sofiane Feghouli, who Cissokho says have made him feel welcome since arriving.
“When you are a foreigner joining a new club you try and find out as much as you can about the club. The fact that there were three Frenchmen at the club made them more attractive to me, and they were also happy that I joined.
“This city and the players have made me feel at home. But even before I spoke to Adil I felt deep down that Valencia were the best club for me.”
