Athletic Club defender Aymeric Laporte has said he would still be proud to represent Spain if he won no silverware with the national team.
The former Manchester City defender said this while opening up about his decision to switch allegiance from France five years ago.
The Athletic Club defender in speaking to Mario Suarez on El camino de Mario, Laporte said: "Winning the World Cup, the Nations League, and the Euros... even if none of that had happened, I would feel the exact same pride. My wife, my family, and my children are from here. I truly identify with Spain."
Reflecting on a naturalisation process that initially stalled before eventually crossing the line, he added: "It was a long process because there had been an initial approach a year and a half or two years earlier that didn't materialise for several reasons. Then we started talking again, and they made it clear they really wanted to count on me. We both agreed it was a unique opportunity that couldn't be passed up."
Despite being the captain of French junior teams, Laporte was snubbed by former coach Didier Deschamps. This led him to switch to France.
He said, "I was born in Agen and lived there until I was 15 before moving to Bilbao. My entire family is French, and in France patriotism runs very deep. I loved France as my first country, but when things like my situation with the national team happen, it forces you to rethink things. Athletic took me in, and this is where I developed the most. The France manager didn't count on me at all, so I made the call to make the switch."
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