Former Derby County defender Horacio Carbonari convinced Emanuel Villa to quit UAG Tecos for the Rams.

Before leaving Argentina for Mexico, the striker was a team-mate of Carbonari (left) at Rosario Central and remembers his glowing praise for Derby.

"When Horacio returned to Rosario from Derby he said very good things about the club, the city and the supporters and that stuck with me," said Villa.

Carbonari raised Derby's transfer record to £2.7m when he signed in 1998 and he made 102 appearances, scoring nine goals.

Villa, whose wife will join him next week, has yet to receive an international call.

"There is always hope but my first aim is to do well for Derby," he said. "If the call from the national team comes, wonderful, but I want to succeed at Derby first."