Gonzalo Garcia, newly transferred to Fulham from Real Madrid, gave an official club interview where he discussed his ambitions for Fulham and the pivotal role manager Arbeloa played in facilitating the move.

Gonzalo, welcome to the club. Let's start by saying you've kindly agreed to do this interview in English.

Yes. Yes, I will try. I will try my best. I'm sorry because my accent is not very good. I need to practice more, but I will try my best.

You sound great, Gonzalo. Let's start by asking, how does it feel to be a Fulham player?

Well, I'm very grateful for it. I'm very happy to be here. I'm very grateful to the board and Arbeloa for trusting me, and I'm very, very excited to start.

Of course, you've been at Real Madrid for almost your entire career, so this is a big change for you, but an exciting one.

Yes, I spent 12 years in the Real Madrid academy and one year in the first team. It's a huge change. Premier League, Fulham is the oldest club in London. So I'm very excited, very happy to be here, and ready to start with confidence.

You just mentioned Arbeloa. He must have been a big factor in your decision to come to Fulham. Can you talk about your relationship with him?

I have a very good relationship with the manager. It's great.

I worked with him in the academy and the first team, and he trusts me a lot. I'm very happy to be here and start this new chapter with him.

You always seemed to score goals under Alvaro Arbeloa, no matter which age group you were playing in. Is he the type of person who knows how to bring out the best in you?

Yes, of course. He spent many years with me in the academy. As I said, when I was in the U18s, he was the first person to help me change my position. He first played me as a striker. So, he knows me very well and knows how to motivate me, and he gives me a lot of confidence. So, I will try my best with him on the field, especially to score many goals, and hopefully. Before that, were you mostly playing as a winger? Yes, I played as a winger. He was the coach of the U18 academy team at the time, and he was the first to try me as a striker.

You scored a brilliant hat-trick in La Liga last season. The three goals were scored in completely different ways – a header, a left-footed shot, and a right-footed shot – a perfect hat-trick. Do you think this perfectly illustrates what kind of striker you are? That you have the ability to score in different ways?

Yes, of course. That day was beautiful. Scoring a hat-trick at the Bernabéu, with so many Real Madrid fans watching, was an unforgettable day for me. So, I hope I can score more goals here for Fulham, at Craven Cottage.

As we said, you were born in Madrid and spent most of your youth there. Now you're moving to a new city. How much are you looking forward to life in London and Premier League football?

As I said before, I'm very much looking forward to being here. I'm very happy. I think playing for Fulham is the best decision for me right now. The oldest club in London, with a rich history, the fans, the stadium, everything is great. As I said, I'm really happy and very excited to start.

Besides getting to know the manager and his staff, Cesar Palacios also joined at the same time as you. Does that help you adapt to the new environment?

Yes, of course. With the manager, all the staff, and Cesar – you will see, he is an excellent player. I know he will surprise you on the field because he is really, really strong. Really, really strong.

I think he is one of the best young talents in the Real Madrid academy. So, I'm very lucky to be here with him and share this experience.

You also made your debut for the Spanish national team this year. Watching them win the World Cup, that must also be your goal, to establish yourself in the Spanish team.

Yes, of course. I'm very much looking forward to being in the national team. But honestly, right now I'm only thinking about Fulham, only thinking about starting as soon as possible and playing in front of the Craven Cottage fans.

Speaking of Fulham, you've signed a long-term contract. What do you hope to achieve during your time here?

Well, I've said many times before that I consider myself a very ambitious player. I want to do my best here, with the fans, all my teammates, and hopefully score many goals, and do my best day by day, every game, every weekend, and hopefully win every game.

We're very happy to have you here, and your English is excellent.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

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