Junior Firpo opens up on Real Betis transfer decision as Leeds United title triumph repeat eyed
The left-back called time on a four-year spell at Leeds United earlier this summer.
Junior Firpo still dreams of winning a title with boyhood club Real Betis after securing his first piece of major silverware as a Leeds United player last season.
Firpo left Leeds as a Championship title winner earlier this summer following the expiration of his contract, with two excellent campaigns under Daniel Farke completing a turnaround that saw him go from Premier League struggler to cult hero. The YEP understands fresh terms were on the table but reflected what would be more of a squad player status for the 28-year-old, who opted for a fresh challenge.
That decision has taken him back to Betis where on Tuesday, he was officially unveiled after signing a three-year contract at the club where he began his professional career. And after getting a taste of glory in West Yorkshire, the 28-year-old hopes to help bring a trophy to southern Spain.
"I'm here now. As the president said, I've always been in contact with the club,” Firpo told Estadio Deportivo. “It's not that I've ever done it with the intention of wanting to create something to come back, I've simply done it because I'm a Betis fan, because it comes from my heart and because any fan would do it. If you add to that the fact that I can come back and that I can play here again, then I'm very happy. I've missed you all and I can't put into words how much I feel.
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"The year I arrived at Leeds, I already said that the biggest thing for me would be to win a title with Betis. It's a dream I have to get up every day and fight for. I don't want to put any extra pressure on ourselves, but I left a very different Betis. Today, it's a club that's been in Europe for years and aspires to great things. That's why I'm here, to give my all for these colours from the heart and return all the affection from the fans on the pitch.”
Junior Firpo confident of Real Betis impact after Leeds United momentum
Firpo left Betis for Barcelona six years ago, aged just 22, and for four years struggled to find the form he enjoyed in Seville. But for two years under Farke at Leeds, the left-back returned to his best form and a switch of allegiance to the Dominican Republic he became a leader at international level.
A confident Firpo insists those two years of regular Championship football have put him in good stead to hit the ground running back at Betis, where he will reunite with Diego Llorente and Marc Roca. A sixth-placed finish last season means the left-back will also be playing Europa League football through the upcoming campaign.
"I arrived here when I was 17, and as soon as I got there, I went to Calle Tajo to have a pre-season meeting with some teammates, just to see the people on the street,” the former Leeds man remembered. “All I've received from this club is love. The Junior who arrives today isn't the same one who left.
“I think he's much better in every way: physically, in terms of confidence, more mature, and after two very good seasons. I want to stay as healthy as possible, play as many games as possible, give 200%, and give it my all from day one. I don't need time to adapt, and I'm arriving with a lot of enthusiasm."