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At first, Santiago Cazorla González holds back, a little wary. The Spaniard’s English is not fluent, though very understandable, and this is the first interview he has given for a considerable time. He is, after all, not an admirer of the limelight.
Then, almost suddenly, he breaks into a wide, broad smile, diffusing, if there was any, the tension and his apprehension. “So what are you waiting for?,” he beams.
Those close to him eulogise of his forgiving and indomitable smile. He never stops smiling, emitting a positive radiance which he values heartily. It is the same on the pitch, too, always smiling, always exuding positivity and elation. After all, as he puts it, football is his life.
“For me, it's the most important thing,” the diminutive 29 year-old says, his reassuring tone reverberating within one of many rooms at Arsenal’s London Colney training complex.
“When I play, I always try to enjoy and for me football is my life. If I don't enjoy a game I will have a problem in my career. I played since I was seven years and I always enjoyed it when I played with my brother, some friends, on the street and now with my team-mates.
“For me, the most important thing is to enjoy the game because we play big games, Champions League, Premier League and I am lucky.
“Football is my life. I have a passion for this game because when I went home I would always go and watch the game whether it was Champions League or another game. For me it's the most important thing in my life and it's important to be passionate.”
Ever since his early days in Llanera, an industrial municipality in the north west of Spain, Cazorla has been enjoying football – embracing the simple, though incredible, game which he values so much.
His career began at Real Oviedo, the starting point for a plethora of European stars. The mercurial likes of Manchester United’s Juan Mata, the deceased former Spain coach Luis Aragones and former Portugal manager Paulo Bento emerging from the ranks at Oviedo. A move to Villarreal, a spell at Recreativo, a contentious return to Villarreal and a lucrative €21 million move to wealthy Malaga followed for the midfield maestro who was attracting interest from all across Europe.
Acquired by Arsenal for £15 million, Cazorla is vindicating Arsene Wenger’s faith with each moment of his undoubted genius. Although he is yet to score this season, the midfielder is intent on adding more goals to his game, intent on polishing an aspect of his game which slightly disappoints him.
“I hope to equal or beat my goalscoring tally from last year,” he explains. “That's something every player wants to achieve. Hopefully I'll help the team with many goals because that would be a signal that I can be useful. Apart from that, I'd like to play as much as possible. Luckily the manager has always trusted me in the previous two years. I played a good number of games and hopefully I'll keep doing so.”
A vaunted player, pressure has often been encountered by Cazorla, who is no stranger to hostility and a burning expectation to deliver. The perfect antidote? A smile, he insists.
“It's my job. I always play for the fans, for the club and I think it's a good job, but not sometimes because for me it's important to always feel happy. Football for the players is not only to be happy on the pitch but in training and in the dressing room and I try every day to be happy for my team-mates.
“I try,” he says of his endeavours to make his colleagues laugh. “Sometimes it's good sometimes it's not too good but I try. It's important for me and I think for the team to be a good atmosphere for the club, for the squad and after on the pitch it's the same because you train happy you will always play happy.
“When you're losing it's difficult to be happy in the dressing room, it's normal. You want to win, and yes, you always have to do a positive because we need to play again against another team or three days after a big game and change mentality and always happy.”
It is telling that, a double European champion with Spain, Cazorla ranks Arsenal’s enthralling FA Cup triumph as one of the greatest moments in his successful career. Succumbing to the verve and hunger of Hull City, Arsenal were 2-0 down before the diminutive Spaniard’s extraordinary heroics, evoking a sensational fightback with a majestic freekick.
“I feel good, no? It was one of the best moments in my career. And I always say thanks to the fans because they sung a lot my song and it's very special for me because the fans have a lot of love for me and I hope to win another trophy this year for them.”
With a smile, of course.
