With speculation rife regarding his future, David Villa chats exclusively to guillembalague.com and insists that, despite press reports to the contrary, he has not said that he would prefer a move to Liverpool or Chelsea next season. David also talks of his relationship with Fernando Torres and of his belief that 'This is Spain’s year!'

David Villa has not got the aura of Fernando Torres or the marketing deals of Cristiano Ronaldo. He is not protected by a group of assistants like Thierry Henry nor does he appear on the cover of a large number of football games like Ronaldinho. In fact, unlike most of the best recognised players on the planet, he answers the phone when you need to chat to him and talks away as if nothing has changed: as if the conversation is about a game played in the park with his mates. He is about to make the jump into the top tier of clubs which will give him the universal approval he deserves. When he does he will still be a regular guy, but one with a very special talent.

Guillem:    There have been some comments attributed to you in the press regarding your future; I understand that you’d like to take this opportunity to set the record straight…

David Villa:    I have heard that I am supposed to have said that I would prefer to go to Liverpool to play next season or that I want Chelsea to be my next team. Please, Guillem, make sure that people know that I have not said anything like that. My club insists I am not for sale and, believe me, I am totally focused on the European Championships. As far as I know, nobody from Liverpool has been in touch, but in any case my future is not something I have in my mind at the moment. I do not understand why people put words in my mouth.

Guillem:    The goal against Sweden was the kind of goal that Spain tends to concede but not to score: in the last few seconds of the game, when everybody, apart from David Villa, was happy with the draw.

David Villa:    I saw the long ball from Capdevila and decided to fight for it as I realised Mellberg had miscalculated the bounce of the ball. After that the ball was still loose, and I thought I was faster than Hansson and sprinted. Once in control of the ball, I expected the goalkeeper to spread himself and wait till the last second to move but he went to ground early, and that makes things easier for a striker, so it was less difficult to find the angle and the net.

Guillem:    Did that goal make you happier than the hat trick against Russia?

David Villa:     Of course, no doubt about it. It was double the happiness. It was pure joy. And the first person I met to celebrate it with was Reina, my best friend. He ran faster than anybody, in fact he always runs the fastest in goal celebrations, he lives matches very intensely.

Guillem:    Be careful with celebrations...

David Villa:   Yes, I picked up a hairline fracture in my while finger hugging Torres after our first goal of the tournament. My finger got stuck in his shirt. And then with Pepe Reina, I jumped and we hit our heads! God, it is dangerous to celebrate

Guillem:    It is easy to say now, but hours before the Russia game, there were many people in Spain that doubted our possibilities. Anything to say to them?

David Villa:   We needed this kind of start so that we can all start pulling in the same direction.

Guillem:    Immediately after the Russia  match, it looked like you had difficulty getting the ball off the referee for a souvenir of your hat-trick.

David Villa:    Thank God for Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso. I don’t speak English, so they had to go to the ref and explain that I wanted the ball, about the traditions involving a hat-trick. He didn’t want to give it to me, he said he couldn’t, but in the end he did. By the time the ball was taken in to the dressing room, people had left, so it was signed by everybody in the morning. It is the 5th or 6th  hat trick ball that I have got to keep.

Guillem:    The talk amongst the journalists the next day was that those goals have added zeros to your transfer fee.

David Villa:    I always say the same thing: nobody from Valencia has told me that I am for sale. In any case, I am not at all worried about that at the moment. My priority, for now, is to play well in Euro 2008. Look, money means nothing. Of course, everybody works to earn money, but if you are not happy, material things mean nothing. My only target in life is to get better at my job

Guillem:    You cannot be used as a secret weapon anymore: defenders know what you can do…

Villa:    I am lucky that I play next to Fernando Torres. Contrary to what happens when I play for Valencia, playing alongside Torres for Spain means that defenders have got two people to worry about. I have taken advantage of Fernando’s movement and of his runs. The first goal against Russia was practically his: he made the move and, very generously, passed it to me. For the second, his movement created a hole that Iniesta spotted and was able to feed me the ball. That is why I went across to the bench to celebrate the hat trick with Fernando. Every time he moved he created lots of space for me to use. If, from now on, defences decide to mark me, Fernando will take advantage of that.

Guillem:    Nobody is missing Raul. David Villa is Spain’s number seven now.

David Villa:    I have been in the team for quite a while - 33 caps already - so as I’m one of the first who gets to choose, I pick a number I like.

Guillem:    Luis Aragones has always said that you are one of the two guys guaranteed a place in the line up, the other being Xavi.

David Villa:    I work hard so that the coach thinks exactly that of me. I know what he wants of me. We are learning to use a variety of things during a game that will benefit everybody: so we are all important and we all feel important. The four goals against Russia were counterattacking goals and in those situations, Torres is fantastic. It wasn’t in our original plans to play like that, but we got it in to our heads that we could change things about and be more direct to take advantage of our pace.

Guillem:    Any worries about Spain’s defence?

Villa:     Marchena and Puyol have been harshly criticized but they have our backing. As Torres said, we all defend and we all attack. If we score it is because our full back Capdevila released the ball early. If we concede it is because our first line of pressure, the forwards, might have failed to do its job.

It wasn’t an easy game against Sweden and Marchena had a great game. The Swedes had nine men behind the ball and sat back very deeply, waiting for us; they never really went for the game, a draw was enough for them. Despite all of that, we had lots of chances and only conceded once.

Guillem:   Should I dare say it? It looks like we have almost everything to go all the way…

David Villa:     It looks good, we have to admit. We played better against Sweden than against Russia; we are improving as the tournament develops and that’s what happens to teams that end up winning it. I wonder if Holland peaked too early. We score at the end against Sweden and it feels like our bad moments don’t get punished like they have in other tournaments. We seem to have the luck of Champions, plus the atmosphere is fantastic. Some of the guys have been together winning under 17 and under 19 tournaments. I go out for meals with my parents and Reina’s parents and Torres and his parents. This is a big family. I have also been able to spend the day with my wife and daughter and all of that helps.

Guillem:   Top of the tournament  goalscoring table, what does that mean for you?

David Villa:    To be honest, the priority for me is that my country, my teammates and my coach feel that they can be proud of the job I’ve done, that is the biggest reward. I want to score even more to take the group to greater heights, but not for individual rewards.

Guillem:     Everything you touch now goes in…

David Villa:     It is not so much a question of good fortune or of hot and cold periods. It is about confidence. When you have been scoring, you go onto the pitch in the next game with a different attitude. When you are in front of a goalkeeper, the most important thing is to feel confident and that is what scoring goals gives you.

Guillem:    Arsene Wenger has complained that the physical performances of the national teams are well below those of club football…

David Villa:   I personally feel the strongest I have ever been in my life. I missed lots of games in the first half of the season and normally I reach the end of the season having played 60 games, but this year I have only played 40.

Guillem:    After the game you ran to give your shirt to someone in the stands...

David Villa:    It was to one of my best friends, Andres. He came to the game with some other mates of mine. I knew where he was as they were waving some Asturias flags. We started playing football together and we were both signed by Sporting Gijon, but I was luckier than him. He still plays in the third division; in fact I might use my influence for him to play at my village club. 

Guillem:    Spain are top of the group now. Who do you prefer in the quarters?

 David Villa:    I don’t care, really I don’t care. We are full of confidence. I think this is Spain’s year.