Former West Ham United player Pablo Barrera has revealed that he regrets his decision to leave the club in 2012, and that his decision was motivated by money.
He eventually joined Mexican club Cruz Azul. The player revealed that his father wanted him to stay in Europe and that he should have stayed at West Ham. However, the Mexican club offered him a large sum of money, which he found difficult to refuse. The 38-year-old described it as one of his career regrets.
Pablo Varela sent off from West Ham
“The only thing I could have changed was to work harder for my time in Europe. I had three years left on my contract[with West Ham]and my only regret is not working hard during those three years,” he told TUDN.
“Then I went to Spain with Vasco (Aguirre) for a year, but I still had three years left on my contract with West Ham. They said I could come back without any problems, of course to get a place, but I made the decision to go to Cruz Azul. That’s the only regret I could have changed.”
“To tell you the truth, at that time it was a matter of money. In the end, I made several offers to Cruz Azul, thinking they wouldn’t accept them, but in the end they said yes. That was the main reason.”
“That was the only thing that stuck with me. My father still talks to me about it. He used to say to me, ‘Stay, stay (in Europe).'”
The player struggled to gain regular playing opportunities during his time at the London club. He eventually moved on loan to Real Zaragoza. However, he believes he could have broken into the starting XI had he stayed at the club.
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Message from Barrera to Edson Alvarez
Meanwhile, the player urged West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez to remain in Europe despite offers from other countries. The player is not a central part of West Ham’s plans at the moment and is currently on loan at Turkish club Fenerbahce.
He will be urged not to make the same mistakes as Barrera, and it will be interesting to see what decision he makes. The player is likely to leave West Ham permanently at the end of this season. He was a quality player during his time at Ajax and will aim to get back to that level again. Joining the right team can bring out the best in a player again.
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