Wilfried Bony has thanked Newport County after penning a short-term deal with new club NEC.
Thirty-three-year-old Bony has signed with the Eredivisie side until the end of the season after a few days' training in the Netherlands.
He has been without a club for more than a year after his contract with Al Ittihad was terminated by mutual consent.
In the interim the former Swansea City striker had been training with the Exiles to maintain his fitness and in his first interview as a NEC player he thanked the Welsh outfit for giving him the chance to build up his strength following a career blighted by serious injury.
"Very happy," Bony said at his unveiling, explaining how the move came about.
"I think I contacted one guy about coming to Holland here. And then we got in contact with the sporting director (Ted van Leeuwen). He told me 'yes, there is a possibility, I will do everything for you, give me some time and I will talk to my board, and we will see how it is going to be'.
"Lucky for me then I am here. [To] do what I love the most and that's playing football."
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Bony often posted pictures and video on his Instagram account of his sessions with County and it is clear he feels a warmth towards the club who helped him.
"I trained with Newport County, and I just want to thank them," he said.
"They make me train with them all the time, so it was very important for me to keep fit until the moment arrived for me to be playing again.
"For the time, I'm not able to play for 90 minutes already, but in time, because I'm starting training already, I will very soon be playing 90 minutes."
It is good to see Bony back with a club after such horrid luck with injuries but not all are pleased with his signing. A section of the NEC fanbase raised a banner at the stadium saying "Bony Not Welcome" in reference to his time with Vitesse Arnhem, their arch-rivals.
Swansea signed the striker from Vitesse back in 2013 for £12million and it seems some supporters have longer memories than others.
Bony, though, said it was just part and parcel of the game.
"It's normal, I expect that," he said.
"This is part of football. I am coming here to do what I love the most which is play football. I'm happy that I will play football, and I'm happy NEC have given me the chance again to play on the pitch and to play football.
"For the fans I completely understand, this is part of their lives, it's a part of the game and the most important thing I want them to support the team, that is the focus, and I will try to do the best to reach the goal."
The former Manchester City man says his aim for the rest of the season is simply to maintain good physical health and support his new team-mates in their quest.
"Personally it is to stay fit, to help the team achieve their goal, which is to stay in the league and also fight every game and to see what the season will bring us," he added.
Director van Leeuwen said: “I noticed that Wilfried was not at peace with his retirement as a football player. He is still highly motivated and eager to finish his career on a good note. Bony is a man of his word.
"We have calculated that Wilfried has a considerable training deficit. That can be done away with. For someone who has been out of circulation for so long, I think he is still remarkably fit.
"He would prefer to play football for another year and a half and then end his impressive career with honors. In the coming months we will see what we can do for each other. For now and the year after.”
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