Pedraza bids Villarreal farewell with olive oil gift and final La Cerámica send-off | OneFootball

Alfonso Pedraza marked his imminent Villarreal exit by giving each team-mate, coach and staff member a bottle of extra virgin olive oil with a personal note at the end-of-season meal, with his departure confirmed on Wednesday. His final appearance in yellow is on Sunday at La Cerámica.

“When I retire I would like to run a good olive oil business with my partner. I started making oil as a hobby, but now I want to do more and create more varieties,” he told AS.

The gesture, rooted in his hometown San Sebastián de los Ballesteros and his bond with the countryside, reflected a player proud of his origins. His notes thanked colleagues for the years, affection and learning, and presented the gift as a small piece of his homeland.

Team-mates such as Juan Foyth and members of the coaching staff shared the moment on social media.

Pedraza joined the academy in 2011 aged 15, winning the league and Copa de Campeones with Juvenil A in 2014-15. He also debuted for the first team that season, a derby at Mestalla against Valencia, when he was 18.

After a year with Villarreal B he had loans at CD Lugo, Deportivo Alavés and Leeds United, then played his first full senior season for Villarreal in 2018-19. A spell at Real Betis followed before returning as a key figure in the 2021 Europa League triumph and the 2022 Champions League semi-finals.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo