Ben Brereton Diaz

[waynerovers]

Good luck to Ben, I'll watch a few Villareal games next season to see how he gets on. 

[goozburger]

I wonder how he'll get on living abroad. Believe it or not, it's not the dream that many think it is. You're not on holiday. You work as normal. You have to sort out a whole heap of admin-type stuff and get yourself set up all over again with anything and everything (I've been doing this for years, and it is ongoing). The language barrier can be difficult, which can make life a bit lonely if you can't converse properly with locals. Also, many expats/immigrants just come and go because they are on some "finding my soul" type of spiritual journey. I really struggle to connect with those types as they are full of pretentious shit.

Of course, Ben will no doubt be in and amongst English speakers who have also moved to Villarreal from another country, which will be a huge help, but adapting and sticking through the rough bits isn't straightforward. It's basically a big upheaval of your life, no matter how fanciful it might look on paper.

All the best to him. He did well in the end for us after a very rough start to life at the club. It's a complete failure of the club to have spent so much money on him, only for it to never come to anything for us other than a couple of outside shots at the play-offs. Forest will be even more pissed off with us due to not getting a slice of a sale!

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, goozburger said:

I wonder how he'll get on living abroad. Believe it or not, it's not the dream that many think it is. You're not on holiday. You work as normal. You have to sort out a whole heap of admin-type stuff and get yourself set up all over again with anything and everything (I've been doing this for years, and it is ongoing). The language barrier can be difficult, which can make life a bit lonely if you can't converse properly with locals. Also, many expats/immigrants just come and go because they are on some "finding my soul" type of spiritual journey. I really struggle to connect with those types as they are full of pretentious shit.

Of course, Ben will no doubt be in and amongst English speakers who have also moved to Villarreal from another country, which will be a huge help, but adapting and sticking through the rough bits isn't straightforward. It's basically a big upheaval of your life, no matter how fanciful it might look on paper.

All the best to him. He did well in the end for us after a very rough start to life at the club. It's a complete failure of the club to have spent so much money on him, only for it to never come to anything for us other than a couple of outside shots at the play-offs. Forest will be even more pissed off with us due to not getting a slice of a sale!

Could attribute all that to parts of England to be fair, but add in the fact it pisses down all year!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

58 minutes ago, goozburger said:

I wonder how he'll get on living abroad. Believe it or not, it's not the dream that many think it is. You're not on holiday. You work as normal. You have to sort out a whole heap of admin-type stuff and get yourself set up all over again with anything and everything (I've been doing this for years, and it is ongoing). The language barrier can be difficult, which can make life a bit lonely if you can't converse properly with locals. Also, many expats/immigrants just come and go because they are on some "finding my soul" type of spiritual journey. I really struggle to connect with those types as they are full of pretentious shit.

Of course, Ben will no doubt be in and amongst English speakers who have also moved to Villarreal from another country, which will be a huge help, but adapting and sticking through the rough bits isn't straightforward. It's basically a big upheaval of your life, no matter how fanciful it might look on paper.

All the best to him. He did well in the end for us after a very rough start to life at the club. It's a complete failure of the club to have spent so much money on him, only for it to never come to anything for us other than a couple of outside shots at the play-offs. Forest will be even more pissed off with us due to not getting a slice of a sale!

Yeah, living in a foreign country can be tough. Plus he’s got a very young child to contend with.

[rigger]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah, living in a foreign country can be tough. Plus he’s got a very young child to contend with.

Yeah, he'll find it very hard, with all that cash.

[smiller14]

1 minute ago, rigger said:

Yeah, he'll find it very hard, with all that cash.

Cash doesn't solve everything. Plenty of footballers before him have struggled to settle in certain areas. 

Obviously money and all that brings (nice house etc) helps, but there are fine margins at the top level and if he's even slightly unsettled it could affect his game. 

[Mattyblue]

Ian Rush was right.

[philipl]

1 hour ago, goozburger said:

I wonder how he'll get on living abroad. Believe it or not, it's not the dream that many think it is. You're not on holiday. You work as normal. You have to sort out a whole heap of admin-type stuff and get yourself set up all over again with anything and everything (I've been doing this for years, and it is ongoing). The language barrier can be difficult, which can make life a bit lonely if you can't converse properly with locals. Also, many expats/immigrants just come and go because they are on some "finding my soul" type of spiritual journey. I really struggle to connect with those types as they are full of pretentious shit.

Of course, Ben will no doubt be in and amongst English speakers who have also moved to Villarreal from another country, which will be a huge help, but adapting and sticking through the rough bits isn't straightforward. It's basically a big upheaval of your life, no matter how fanciful it might look on paper.

All the best to him. He did well in the end for us after a very rough start to life at the club. It's a complete failure of the club to have spent so much money on him, only for it to never come to anything for us other than a couple of outside shots at the play-offs. Forest will be even more pissed off with us due to not getting a slice of a sale!

His Spanish is quite good because he has been learning it ever since first selected for Chile.

Plus his Mum can teach him but how his Stoke accented Spanish will go down in Valencia...

Villareal have been signing non-Spanish players for years so if they don't have an extremely slick reception system for player and family by now, they deserve to be relegated.

[alex l]

Not a great start for BBD. Only a friendly against st gallen but 4-1 down at half time, and he's part of a team with a fair number of usual starters. 

[philipl]

Finished 6-1. BBD played the central of three strikers and was subbed at half time. He didn't score the Villarreal goal.

Now if he wanted to play in a team that scored 6 ...

Edited July 15, 2023 by philipl

[JacknOry]

dont care

[alex l]

12 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

dont care

Do you read and comment on everything you don't care for? It must keep you very busy. 

[Gav]

Ben will get more opportunity in Europe this season with Villarreal qualifying for Europa league.

Certainly beats a wet Wednesday night in Cardiff….

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, JacknOry said:

dont care

Probably the wrong thread to come visit then eh?

[lraC]

On 06/07/2023 at 11:59, goozburger said:

I wonder how he'll get on living abroad. Believe it or not, it's not the dream that many think it is. You're not on holiday. You work as normal. You have to sort out a whole heap of admin-type stuff and get yourself set up all over again with anything and everything (I've been doing this for years, and it is ongoing). The language barrier can be difficult, which can make life a bit lonely if you can't converse properly with locals. Also, many expats/immigrants just come and go because they are on some "finding my soul" type of spiritual journey. I really struggle to connect with those types as they are full of pretentious shit.

Of course, Ben will no doubt be in and amongst English speakers who have also moved to Villarreal from another country, which will be a huge help, but adapting and sticking through the rough bits isn't straightforward. It's basically a big upheaval of your life, no matter how fanciful it might look on paper.

All the best to him. He did well in the end for us after a very rough start to life at the club. It's a complete failure of the club to have spent so much money on him, only for it to never come to anything for us other than a couple of outside shots at the play-offs. Forest will be even more pissed off with us due to not getting a slice of a sale!

The secret is to integrate and definitely learn the language. I’ve seen people move to areas near me, only mix with the English community and not bother to learn the language. They quite rightly gets frowned upon.

I live in a very traditional Spanish town. I have learnt Spanish and get accepted on the whole quite readily.

Going out for example for a beer with my Spanish mate to a local Spanish bar to watch the Champions league game, City V Real Madrid is a good sign I’m accepted. Even speaking Spanish with a Blackburn accent did no damage, that night. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, lraC said:

The secret is to integrate and definitely learn the language. I’ve seen people move to areas near me, only mix with the English community and not bother to learn the language. They quite rightly gets frowned upon.

I live in a very traditional Spanish town. I have learnt Spanish and get accepted on the whole quite readily.

Going out for example for a beer with my Spanish mate to a local Spanish bar to watch the Champions league game, City V Real Madrid is a good sign I’m accepted. Even speaking Spanish with a Blackburn accent did no damage, that night. 

Where we are there isn’t really an English community although there are Brits in neighbouring villages. One of the reason we went there. We avoid the ones that do come into town as a whole because of their attitudes. Nobody really speaks English in the local community either. So it’s learn the language or struggle. I struggle but luckily Mrs Shoelaces is reasonably good.

Daft question - what’s the heat like ? We fly out tomorrow and 40C plus isn’t very appealing to be honest.

[lraC]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Where we are there isn’t really an English community although there are Brits in neighbouring villages. One of the reason we went there. We avoid the ones that do come into town as a whole because of their attitudes. Nobody really speaks English in the local community either. So it’s learn the language or struggle. I struggle but luckily Mrs Shoelaces is reasonably good.

Daft question - what’s the heat like ? We fly out tomorrow and 40C plus isn’t very appealing to be honest.

It sounds a bit like where I am Tyrone. Both the Mrs and I decided to learn Spanish and we are both glad we did. It is nice to have Spanish friends who we can communicate with an if we decide we want to have night off and speak English, we visit one of the areas where we have a large British contingent.

It is very hot at the minute, around 35C today and may get to around 40C by the end of the week.

I am back in the UK for 17 days from Thursday, so will get a bit of respite.

Have a safe trip over and make sure you pack the 50 factor.

[DeeCee]

It's harder to integrate in Cornwall 🤦‍♂️

[Polky]

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 hours ago, Polky said:

 

I hope he enjoys hot weather. It’s baking over here !

[dallydally]

10 hours ago, Polky said:

 

About as good a singer - several key changes - as he is at scoring!!

[alex l]

On the bench for their opener. Also note he has their number 9 shirt. 

[danger19_80]

1-1 at home with 15 to go, 4 subs and no sign of him.

[jodrell]

Lost 1-2 in injury time and didn't get in.

[Darrenbot]

In 18 months time he'll be back in the Championship with a Jan transfer signing for Stoke