Asier Illarramendi: "My Madrid spell wasn't so bad"

Asier Illarramendi says his time at Real Madrid was not all bad.

The midfielder, signed for €35million by Los Blancos, now back with his original side Real Sociedad, spoke at a press conference, accompanied by president Jokin Aperribay.

Asked about his spell with Madrid, he replied: "It didn’t work out as well as I would have liked but you learn from these experiences, from the good and the bad. That’s not to say that it was all bad. 

"I don’t think I left on a bad note – after all, I won four trophies with Madrid."

The midfielder thinks he is not regressing by returning to his former side.

“I spent many years here and I have a lot of friends here, so it’s certainly not a step backwards," he explained. 

"I am more mature now, I’ve trained with some of the world’s best players and even though I didn't get a great deal of continuity [in the team], I’ve learned a lot."