Gayà: "Representing your country is the best thing that can happen to a player"

José Luís Gayà is part of the Spain squad chosen to compete in Euro 2020 this summer. Ahead of the tournament, which kicks off this Friday, the Valencia CF fullback talks to VCF Media about what it means to represent his country.

I'm very excited to be playing in Euro 2020. It's a dream that every player has. I'm looking forward to showing that the Spain team have a lot of ambition and desire. We'll be taking things step-by-step, but I hope that we can have a good European Championships.

In the end, playing for your country is the nicest thing that can happen for a player. It's something that you always dream about. It's a dream come true for me. I always try to give my all whenever I play for my country, just like I do for my club.

If I've been chosen for my country, it's because I keep doing things well here. That gives me a boost for next season.

It's a very united group, just like always. We've spent a while together now, and we're looking forward to having a good European Championships. We're really excited. That's what we need to have: Desire and ambition.

It's normal that, to start with, you're more nervous. It's something that you've dreamed about for a long time. I've always said that playing for the national team is the biggest thing that can happen to a player. I think that I've played 11 or 12 games for Spain, and that's enough to get used to it and become more confident, above all else. I feel more confident, and that is a good thing.

We've had a difficult year in which we've seen that football is changing, and that every game requires a huge effort if you are going to win. It's happened to us with Valencia CF, and also with Spain in games that we have been 'supposed to win.' That should serve as a learning experience, and that's what we've always done. Opposing sides are more prepared now, and are going to make things more difficult, which is what we have to fight against.

I hope that this continues forever. It will mean that things are continuing to go well for me. Now we have a few days in which to disconnect a little -although we can't disconnect too much because what lies ahead is very important. When it's all over, I'll need a few days, because it's been a long season.