Valencia ace David Villa has declared he's ready to move to England. Villa has had a change of heart after failing to secure a transfer to Barcelona or Real Madrid last summer and is finally ready to leave Spain, a message that will be received with interest in the boardrooms of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.

"Quite simply, I rejected the possibility of moving abroad at that moment because there were issues that would not allow me to leave my country . . . my wife was pregnant and it didn't seem right to leave," he told The Times.

"I like the Premier League a lot. It's the league I follow the most along with La Liga and I've got a lot of friends playing there.

"There are a lot of globally important teams there that play very good football."

Villa is ready to stick it out with Valencia until the summer, but admits he is ready to play in England.

He said: "Maybe quite a few years ago, Spanish players were reluctant to leave La Liga for another league.

"But that's all changed now. There are very important players, a showcase of Spanish footballers playing for Premier League clubs; and there are players in other leagues, lesser leagues, as well.

"I think that the Spanish footballer has changed in this aspect in the last few years."