Pablo Barrera has admitted it just didn’t work out for him at West Ham United, as he explained he has regrets over the move.
[El Periódico Aragón](https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/) have an interview with Barrera today as he gets set to retire. They were speaking to him thanks to his time at Real Zaragoza.
He spent a year at the Spanish club on loan from West Ham, after joining the Hammers in 2010. He had moved to London from UNAM Pumas in a €4.8m deal the previous year.
His time at the club was not a successful one, though. He managed just two assists in 21 games with them as they were relegated to the Championship. A loan move to Zaragoza followed before he left on a permanent basis in 2012, heading back to Mexico.
He quickly gave up on the shot at football in Europe after his miserable time at West Ham and the Spanish club. Barrera managed one goal in 20 games for the latter during his loan spell.
West Ham saw language difficulties
----------------------------------
Looking back, the 38-year-old now regrets moving on so quickly. He thinks things simply didn’t go his way with West Ham.
“It just didn’t work out for me, that’s true, that’s clear,” he said.
“That’s the only regret I have not staying longer in Europe. Not getting used to a different style of football, a different culture, not pushing myself harder and staying longer there, because I had the talent.
“I should have approached it as starting from scratch and earned that opportunity to play and succeed in Europe. That’s the regret I’m left with, without a doubt, not pushing myself harder during my time there.
“Mainly in England, because the speed of the football is very different. And also the language, which I found very difficult. I felt much better in Spain. Vasco (Javier Aguirre) knew me well, I had more confidence there.
“I should have told myself that it was okay, that I had to keep going, and that I couldn’t take the easy way out and return to my country without continuing to fight to succeed there.”