My intention is not to come here at 35 and retire: David Timor

Panaji: FC Goa’s David Timor is probably the most experienced footballer in India at the moment.The left-footed central midfielder has made close to 400 appearances in Spanish football, including more than 150 games in La Liga with clubs like Valencia, Osasuna, Leganes, Girona, Las Palmas, Getafe and Huesca.

It’s been an impressive career, one where he has faced the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Now, he finds himself in India. “It was an easy decision to come to India because two years ago I had the same opportunity and I thought it wasn’t the right moment for me,” Timor told TOI after a training session at Bambolim. "When the opportunity knocked the second time, it was easy (to decide).” The Spanish midfielder is no stranger to Indian football or even Goa. He has seen several of his former teammates --Jofre Mateu, Borja Fernandez, Ruben Gonzalez, Carlos Pena, Marc Valiente -- pack their bags for the Indian Super League (ISL), right from the early days when the competition was just three months’ old.“I’ve always followed the ISL because there's something about it that piqued my interest. Two years ago, when there was very strong interest from Goa, I followed the league even more. I wanted to understand the league better,” said Timor. Timor arrives in Goa at the fag end of his career. He’s now 35, but during pre-season training, he took everyone by surprise with his test results, emerging one of the fittest in the group.

“I feel better about my body now than when I was 26-27. I am very conscious of what my body requires, and what I need to do. I also do a lot of off-the-field training and complement it with work that I do on the field.“My intention is not to come here at age 35 and retire. I want to play a minimum of two seasons. I want to keep going. I'm 35, but I look at it only as a number. I want to enjoy playing football as much as I can because it’s something I love the most,” said Timor. The Spanish midfielder’s first official assignment with Goa will be the AFC Champions League Two playoff against Oman league champions Al Seeb at Fatorda on Wednesday. It’s a clash that is certain to remind him of the time when he was previously involved in continental competition, with Spanish high-flyers Getafe in the Europa League (2019-2020).“That was clearly the highlight of my career,” said Timor. “We eliminated Ajax in the group stages and then lost in the round of 16 against Inter Milan. I've had a lot of good moments in La Liga and the second division. But to be able to compete at a very high level in European football remains the standout memory for me.”