Villa: Lack of playing time forced me out of Barcelona

David Villa has admitted that he left Barcelona due to his need for more starting appearances, but the striker recalls his time at the Camp Nou with great affection.

The New York City FC player moved to Atletico Madrid in 2013 after three seasons at the Catalan club, which included two Liga titles and a Champions League winners medal.

And he affirmed that losing a first-team place in the Blaugrana prompted his decision to seek new climes.

"I just decided to leave because I had lost my starting spot," he told Sport from New York.

"I have always tried to be realistic about where I am, where I can go, I lost my place and I was not playing as much for technical reasons.

"The easy path would have been staying at Barcelona, to keep winning titles, prestige and reputation, but I wanted to be on the pitch. I looked for a way out.

"But then the media turned it into something else, when it was that simple: I did not want to be on the bench more than the pitch."

A broken leg during his second season at Barca also held Villa back, and he admitted that was the worst moment of his career.

"I have had a lot of luck [with injuries], but that was very serious," he said.

"I suffered with that injury, I learned a lot, when you are not used to it you think it is easier. I did not feel like a footballer because I went to games but I was in the dressing room or the stands." 

On a more positive note, the striker singled out a 5-0 Clasico victory over Real Madrid as one of the high points.

"It was my first Clasico and we were a little behind Madrid, and I had gone a month without scoring," he recalled.

"5-0, I scored twice and it was one of the happiest days of my life."