Iker Bravo: “I have taken more blows than I deserved; at 21, I want to be the best father in the world”

Iker Bravo says he has “taken more blows than he deserved” and insists that, at 21, his priority is now to become “the best father in the world”. The Watford player spoke on the Otra Ronda programme on Radio MARCA, in an interview with Carlos Vicente “Chitu” and Marcos Bernat.

The forward has found his smile again. After recent years marked by club changes and a lack of continuity, he believes he has found in England the setting he needed to rediscover his best form. His move to Watford, following spells at Udinese and Las Palmas, has brought him playing time and a new role as an attacking midfielder. England and fatherhood are both working out well for him, according to the assessment of his recent journey.

The birth of his son Enzo has profoundly changed his priorities. “Everything has been incredible because I became a father; it is the best thing that could have happened to me in life,” Bravo explained. Above all, he wants to be the best possible father to his children, so that they lack nothing, are healthy and happy; becoming the best player in the world would come afterwards, he said.

On the pitch, the change of environment has also helped him rediscover his feelings. Bravo says he is starting to enjoy playing football again after a difficult spell. At Watford, his coach’s confidence and his deployment centrally behind the attack matter greatly to him: “I think my position in modern football is attacking midfielder.” He sums up his relationship with performance as follows: “When I play and I am happy, I play well.”

The forward also described what suits him about English football: “After the 60th minute, it is all transitions. Forward, backward, forward, backward.” According to him, that context could give him more space to create, attack and make an impact on matches.

After experiences in Germany, Spain and Italy, Bravo does not hide his satisfaction with his new adventure. Asked about a possible return to Spain, he replied: “Honestly, no. Not right now, but in the future, obviously.” His aim is to keep enjoying his day-to-day life at Watford while making the most of his return to the national side.

He acknowledges having suffered during a recent period: “These last two years have been very hard for me.” He now intends to turn the page and focus on enjoyment. Looking back on his development at Real Madrid, he particularly remembers Álvaro Arbeloa’s influence. Arbeloa, he says, spoke to him “as if he were my father”, an exchange that made him reflect. Bravo has kept one conviction from it: good habits are essential to building a successful career of around 15 years.

His form in England has reopened the door to the national team. Proud to be part of a generation he sees as highly promising, he describes the group as “exceptional” both on and off the pitch. His plan is simple: enjoy the training camp before returning to Watford and taking matches one at a time.

When discussing his ceiling, Bravo reportedly sets no limits for himself, while being aware of the distance still to travel. “I have huge confidence in myself and I know I have the talent to have a very good career. But I have to prove it. I have not proved anything yet,” he admits.

For Enzo, his message is more personal. His son gave him “a lot of strength” at a time when he could no longer find meaning in what he was doing, he explains. His wish is for the child to be “the happiest person in the world”, always to act in pursuit of happiness and to remain a good person with good values.