Porto 2 Chelsea 1: 'It was one of my dreams to play in the Champions League,' says Miguel Layun

The Mexican is on loan at Porto this season from Watford

Miguel Layun competes with Cesar Azpilicueta for the ball last night (Getty Images)

Miguel Layun played his second Champions League match for Porto on Tuesday night, as they beat Chelsea 2-1, and said that the chance to play in the world’s biggest club competition was the reason he left Watford.

Mexico international Layun joined Porto on a season’s loan in August, since when he started for Julen Lopetegui’s side against Dynamo Kiev, before coming on late against Chelsea. Speaking to The Independent after the match, Layun was pleased to have played the last 10 minutes, in front of a 46,000 crowd at the Estadio Dragao.

“It was a very good experience,” he said. “I was trying to be on the pitch for at least a few minutes, and I did it. I received a chance from the mister. It was very, very special being on the pitch.”

Layun was an important part of Watford’s promotion to the Premier League last year, and scored their first goal of this season away at Goodison Park on 8 August. When Porto came in for him he decided to join the Portuguese giants, and his vindication came on the pitch on Tuesday.

“Always when you have the chance to play Champions League, it is something more,” Layun said. “You don’t have enough chances in your life to be in this tournament. So when I received the call from the club I said yes. It was one of my dreams to play in the Champions League and now I am living that dream.”

Layun said that he had been “thinking about staying with Watford”, and that new Spanish coach Quique Sanchez Flores did try to keep him at Vicarage Road. “Quique was an impressive mister [manager], he’s a very good guy, knows a lot about football,” Layun said. “He spoke with me, but it was a situation that made me take this option. It was important to play in the Premier League, but life can change in one minute, and I decided to take this new adventure, and try to do it well.”

Having signed a four and a half year deal with Watford in January, Layun is contracted until 2019 and he said he was open to returning to the club at the end of his spell at Porto.

“I can just say thank you for every Watford fan, because they give me everything in my matches that I played in Watford,” Layun said. “I am enjoying it here, but I have not moved permanently to Porto. If I have to stay here I will enjoy it, if I go back to Watford it will be a very nice moment.”