Villa broke his leg while playing in the Club World Cup with Barcelona. -File Photo

MADRID: David Villa is aiming to come back from a broken leg a better player, the Barcelona forward said after his first game back in a friendly against Dinamo Bucharest on Saturday.

Villa fractured his left leg at the Club World Cup in December and the 30-year-old, Spain's all-time leading scorer, was finally given the all-clear by Barca's medical staff at the end of last month.

He came on in the 73rd minute of Barca's 2-0 win against Dinamo in the Romanian capital and said he had “felt very good on the pitch” and was “very pleased” with his return.

“My aim is not to be the player I was before, I want to be better,” he told reporters. “We have to be patient, I have been out for a long time, more than I expected.

“What I want now is to focus on the present and the future and forget the past. My job is to improve day by day.”

Barca, whose three-year run as Spanish champions was ended by arch rivals Real Madrid last season, play their opening La Liga match of the 2012-13 campaign at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday August 19.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.