WATCH OUT JOSE , JESUS IS A CITY FAN! Navas warns United not to take Sevilla lightly.. and wants to win for his friends in Manchester
JESUS NAVAS has extra motivation for wanting to knock Manchester United out of the Champions League.
He spent four years at Manchester City, winning the Premier League and two League Cups before returning to his hometown club Sevilla last summer when his contract ended.
And the 32-year-old winger knows he will be celebrated by City fans once again if he can help slam the door shut on another trophy route for Jose Mourinho and United.
“For us, it’s all about getting through to the next round,” said Navas ahead of the Reds’ visit on Wednesday for the first leg of their last-16 clash.
“But I know it would be nice for some of my friends back in Manchester if we did manage to pull it off and knock out United.
“If people underestimate us, they should look at what we’re doing at the moment, our performances, the fact we’ve got to a final already and are still in all of the competitions.
“We’re a great side and can achieve things.
“United were always our great rivals when I was at City, and we played some really important games against them.
“But now this is really important game for Sevilla, for the club, for our fans, and it would be great for us to make it to the quarter-finals. We know it’s going to
be a hard game, but we’re doing well at the moment and will do everything in our power to go through against United.
“But we know we’ll have to be at our maximum level and concentrate throughout both games, because at any moment, a top team like United can finish the tie.
“United also have some really important games coming up, starting with us, but hopefully we’re going to be able to stand in their way.”
As well as Champions League progress, since returning to Spain, Navas has helped Sevilla reach the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona and climb to fifth in La Liga.
Under coach Eduardo Berizzo, they twice held Liverpool in this season’s group stage, including an epic comeback from 3-0 down when Jurgen Klopp’s side visited in November.
Berizzo – who had just had treatment for prostate cancer – was sacked before Christmas after a run of poor results, and Italian Vincenzo Montella has Sevilla back on track.
“We’ve just found that right dynamic at the moment and that’s resulted in a change in our fortunes,” said Navas, deployed at right-back for Saturday’s 2-1 win over Las Palmas.
“We’re going well at the moment, so we’re happy.”
Navas says he has no regrets looking back on his spell at City, which came to an end after it was clear he was not part of Pep Guardiola’s long-term plans.
“In my first year I won the Premier League, and two cups after that, so I learned a lot from my experience in England and I think it was all positive,” said Navas.
“I won titles nearly every year I was there and I played almost ever year, apart from my final season when I didn’t play as much.
“It was incredible to play in the Premier League, somewhere I always wanted to go because of the speed and the pace of the game.
“But I’m back home with Sevilla now, we’re in the final of the Copa Del Rey, the last 16 of the Champions League and we are going well in La Liga, so I feel like I’m in a good place.
“I still speak with David Silva. We have a personal relationship and talk about personal things, but we’ve not got into football that much.
“But City are playing some lovely football now. They always have possession of the ball, which is what Guardiola likes his teams to do, and they’re really enjoyable to watch.
“I always felt welcomed and received well at City while I was there.”
Navas will receive an even warmer welcome at his former club if he can help end United’s Champions League campaign.