After 636 long and arduous days away, Santi Cazorla has finally returned to action in a pre-season friendly for Villarreal.
Cazorla hadn't played a competitive game since October 2016 after being forced to undergo several operations and a skin graft from his arm to fix the achilles tendon injury he sustained during Arsenal's 6-0 win over Ludogorets.
Credit: Radio Villarreal
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These operations meant that the 33-year-old lost eight centimetres from the tendon in his right ankle and doctors proceeded to tell the Spaniard that he is lucky to be able to walk in the garden with his son.
But he returned to pre-season training last week and on Tuesday evening, the Spaniard was back on the pitch, coming on as a substitute in Villarreal's 1-1 draw with Hercules and playing 23 minutes against the Segunda Division B outfit.
Seeing him trot on the pitch again to an incredible reception was just wonderful.
After ending his six-year stint with Arsenal, the 33-year old is training with the Yellow Submarine in the hope of landing himself a contract with the club for the second time.
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Only last week he took to Twitter to tell everyone how happy he is that he "feels like a footballer again". We are absolutely delighted that Santi is back and sincerely hope he gets the contact he deserves.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Santi Cazorla, Villarreal, Arsenal
