Former Real Sociedad fullback Javi Garrido admits he was swept away by the excitement swirling around Manchester City over the summer.

"I did have a number of offers from other places but two things swayed my mind to agree to come to City," he said. "Sven is a great coach and I know his reputation and I was influenced too by the fact that City were signing a lot of internationals and that was a strong attraction.

"There is no doubt that to play in La Liga is fantastic, it is a great league, but I look at the Premier League and I see how the level has been raised in the last couple of years and that was a factor too.

"I am not just here for the football either. I want to learn another language and the culture and how to live in England. I am here as part of my education in life and to make new friends. I know I will benefit in many ways from the move."