Football
ESPN staff 8y

Alexandre Pato ready for challenge at Villarreal after Chelsea loan woe

Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato says that he is ready to take on his next challenge at Villarreal after signing for the Spanish club last week.

Pato, 26, attended his presentation on Monday after officially signing a five-year deal and revealed that he was keen to prove he can play at the highest level again.

"Succeeding at Villarreal is a beautiful challenge for me," he told Marca. "It is very important to have this opportunity at a club like Villarreal. I am fully focused on being able to play again at the highest level."

The Brazilian striker was once considered one of the top young prospects in world football but his move to Chelsea on loan in January 2016 was a disappointment after he failed to reach physical level required to play in Premier League.

After coming through the ranks at Internacional in 2006, Pato scored 63 goals in 151 games for AC Milan after moving to Italy, but his time at the club was overshadowed by injuries that ruled him out for most of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

After returning to Brazil with Corinthians in 2013, he struggled to win over the fans or his teammates and was loaned out to Sao Paulo in February 2014, then Chelsea almost two years later.

However, the striker was not able to make his way into interim manager Guus Hiddink's plans due to fitness issues and played only twice in London.

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