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Dolan: "I'm here to fight to be a starter"

The new forward is officially presented at the RCDE Stadium

Tuesday afternoon saw new RCD Espanyol signing Tyrhys Dolan presented officially to the media, and he talked about his first few days at the club. The English forward made clear that he has come to the RCDE Stadium to succeed, and that he was not shying away from new challenges in his career.

"I had several other offers, as I was a free agent, but as soon as the option of RCD Espanyol was on the table, it was a no-brainer. Nobody from the area where I was born has played in LaLiga before, and it's a great opportunity. I'll give 100 percent on the pitch, and it's a step up in my career. I'm here to fight to be a starter, and to contribute many goals for the club."

"This is a totally different league. I've only played in England, in The Championship, but I've always wanted to take on challenges, because that is what makes you improve and grow."

On his first impressions of his teammates, Dolan explained that he has seen"a lot of quality in the team. They are all very technical, from defence to attack. I hope to learn from all these players. This is LaLiga, and there's obviously a lot of quality. For me, it's a great challenge that I want to make the most of. I've seen a lot of focus on the tactical side of things. For me, it's a big change in terms of the level of demand, but a lot of attention is paid to this."

Despite the significant change that coming to Spain entails, Dolan has been made to feel at ease.

"I've had a fantastic reception at Espanyol. I expected it to be more difficult, but I've felt very good. I want to repay that affection that the fans have shown -both on the street and on social media, with my performances."

Mao Ye, the club's CEO, told the media that "We already saw Tyrhys for 20 minutes in the friendly against FC Union Berlin. We hope he continues this quick adaptation and contributes his effort to the team."

Fran Garagarza, the sporting director, commented that he is a player who "fits the profile we were looking for, and his age also fits our requirements. He's a full signing and was a highly valued option for us. He's versatile, capable of getting into the box, and can score goals. He'll be an important player in one-on-one situations."

He also acknowledged that "we'd like to have everything finalised before Matchday 1 in terms of the squad, but it's not up to us. We'd like to do that, although I don't see it as easy, but we continue working with the desire to strengthen the squad."