Deportivo La Coruna defensive midfielder Pedro Mosquera has revealed he turned down a move to Valencia in January because of his emotional attachment to the club and the city.
Valencia matched the 27-year-old’s €4m (£3m) release clause in January but were rebuffed by Mosquera, who then received a fantastic reception during Monday’s 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Mosquera is a native of A Coruna, but only joined Victor Sanchez’s side over the summer on a free from Elche having come up through the Real Madrid academy.
“I want to thank everyone both for the ovation and messages and words of support I’ve received on the street and on social media,” Mosquera told Marca.
“I want to tell you that if I decided to stay it’s because of the love I have received from my city from the first day till now. The affection is reciprocal. [Monday] was one of the most special days of my life.”
Mosquera has only missed one league match for Deportivo this season and has been an important player behind their surprising success thus far.
In fact, the Deportivo midfielder has completed at least eight more tackles and interceptions than any other Valencia player in the league this season (121).
For more stats on Pedro Mosquera, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
