Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has admitted he suffered pre-match nerves in the last few games for Spain having sat out the last four months of the campaign.
The World Cup winner was controversially dropped by former Los Blancos manager Jose Mourinho in January.
Despite not playing since then, national coach Vicente del Bosque selected him in Spain’s Confederations Cup squad.
In an interview with Marca, Casillas said he had got used to the idea of not being included in the starting eleven and that he felt some pre-match jitters in the warm up games.
He stated: “It’s important to get a couple of games under your belt because you feel more comfortable. I got nervous before the games because I hadn’t played for a long time and everyone is looking at you. But I’m happy because it all turned out well.”
The 32-year-old stopper added that the lack of playing time at Real Madrid meant he was approaching the Confederations Cup in a different way to how he has prepared for other competitions with the national side.
“When you haven’t played for a while, it’s not the same as for those teammates who have done so. The gaffer has been looking at each player’s condition over the last few weeks and I’ve tried to match the others. I’ve been at a disadvantage because of the last four months or so without playing,” he said.
