Nico González: "Mestalla is a historic stadium and the fans are spectacular."

Nico González made his first start for Valencia CF last Sunday at Mestalla, and marked the occasion with a goal in the win against Getafe CF. The midfielder spoke to VCF Media this week about the performance, his preferred position on the pitch and much more.

Good feeling

Obviously, a result like that helps you to have a good feeling. Both the intensity and the way that the team played over 90 minutes was spectacular. In the end, the way you play is normally reflected in the result.

Attention to detail

The two defeats, against Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid, were down to small details that decided those results. The important thing is that we establish a foundation for our play in every game, and whilst the small details in football change everything, I'm sure that if your base is good, your results will be too.

Midfield tempo

I came up through the Barça youth system. There, they show us from a young age that the most effective way of playing is to keep things simple -especially in the midfield, playing with two or three touches. Gattuso also has that kind of idea, trying to play the ball quickly from one side to the other. The midfielders make that job easier. The wingers have more space and more time on the ball. I like to move the ball quickly and have a lot of possession, and I'm used to playing like that.

His goal against Getafe CF

I scored two goals last season and neither were headers. I played in the year above when I was young, so I wasn't the tallest. A lot of the time I was the one putting in the corners, but I don't remember scoring from one.

Next match against Rayo

Everybody knows Vallecas. It's a very tough, small ground. There's going to be a lot of intensity for the entire 90 minutes. We need to face it like we have these first four games: Intensity, good play and trying to give our all in every minute. Results will come if we play like that.

Unified dressing room

I remember the day that I arrived, the coach put me in front of everybody and presented me. He gives you a slap on the head and we all have a laugh about it. That also builds team bonding.

Gattuso's ideas

Good play that we've seen in recent months is the result of daily work. Gattuso is transmitting what he wants, and we are trying to reflect that well. He was a player for many years and you can tell how important he was. He knows how this all works, and that helps. It makes everything easier, in the sense that he gets his message across clearly. He always supports us a lot, which is very important.

Getting to know Valencia

I've tried to use my days off to learn more about the city. I haven't been here for long, but I like it a lot and life is good here. The first day that I went into the centre, I wasn't so careful. The other day I went into the city with a hat and sunglasses, to try to keep a lower profile. But I also like the affection the fans show. They are very passionate about football here, and you can feel it.

Mestalla atmosphere

Mestalla is a historic stadium and the fans are spectacular. The opposition feel their presence and so do we. It helps a lot. I was amazed the first day that I trained, which was at Mestalla, with so many fans there. Their passion was spectacular. Every game is like that, and you can feel it a lot.