Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi completed a move back to his boyhood club Real Sociedad on Wednesday, bringing an end to his two-year stay in the Spanish capital.

Sociedad confirmed the news on Twitter, which was translated by AS English:

Real Madrid also noted the player’s exit.

Illarramendi spoke of his joy of returning home to La Real, as reported by AS (translated via ESPN FC).

“Very happy. Of course, I wanted to return, I haven’t yet spoken to my teammates, later I will speak with them,” he said. “Real [Sociedad] has always been my first option and I was really wanting to return home, of course.”

The Spaniard struggled to make an impact at the Bernabeu as a result of Los Blancos’ embarrassment of riches in midfield.

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder made 30 appearances in La Liga last season but made just 10 starts and played only 1,234 minutes—an average of only 41 minutes per appearance.

Illarramendi’s chances of racking up a significant amount of minutes this season were even lower, with Real bringing back Casemiro in the summer and signing Mateo Kovacic from Inter Milan.

However, the move represents a fresh start for the 25-year-old, whose impressive distribution will help Real Sociedad in possession while his ball-winning skills will provide protection for the back four.

The Basques have lost a number of key players in the past couple of seasons, tumbling down the La Liga pecking order as a result. The last time Illarramendi wore the colours of Real Sociedad, the club was playing UEFA Champions League football. Two years later, they couldn’t even finish the season in the top 10.

Former Manchester United manager David Moyes was hired to change the team’s fortunes, and it will be interesting to see if he has made any improvements in his attempts to pronounce the 25-year-old’s name, via BetVictor:

The Spaniard had also been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur over the summer, so his acquisition can be seen as something of a coup for La Real.

After a difficult spell in the Spanish capital, Illarramendi will need to take the opportunity to jump-start his career. If he can do so, Real Sociedad will have reacquired an excellent player in their bid to challenge for a Champions League place.

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