It was one of the men from the market. His 14 goals last season have been a claim for many teams. But Joselu Mato (32 years old), a striker with aerial power among the best in the championship, rejected superior offers from abroad and chose Espanyol. “I am where I want to be”, said the Galician, a youth squad player from Celta de Vigo, who arrives with the letter of freedom from Alavés.
Joselu Mato is a true soccer globetrotter who found his place to shine in Alavés. In the last three seasons he has scored 36 goals with the babazorros. Reason that has led Espanyol to sign him for three seasons despite his 32 years. “I am at a level of the best of my career. I have a great professional experience and a very stable family, something that is very important at a football level. I come from three very good seasons. Years are numbers. There are top-level players who, after 30, are when they have scored the most goals. And that's what I hope to do,” he noted.
The Galician striker, born in Stuttgart and who went through Castilla before playing several years in the Bundesliga, is clear that he has come to compete with a position. He is not afraid of the theoretical ownership of De Tomás, with whom he coincided in the white subsidiary, and warns: “Any striker wants to improve their numbers, I am ambitious and I want to earn a place in the eleven, with work and perseverance everything comes. If we get together with Raúl, the problem will be with the rival teams”, he threatened.
“I visualize wins and goals, this is what strikers want. When we are better, it is better for the club. The rivals are the ones who have to be careful with us. I consider myself one more reference striker, playing from behind, the same thing happened to me with Lucas Pérez, I unload a lot, I like to be in the area, catch balls there”, he said about the possibility of forming a tandem with De Tomás.
Finally, he was proud of his ability to win aerial balls, a facet in which he is a true specialist. “It is a resource for games that the rival does not let you play. I'm good at it, it's a way to prolong the game. I consider myself a person who likes continuity with the aerial ball to generate second plays. They are resources that I think will come in handy”, he concluded.
