Michael Olunga’s promise to the fans after La Liga move

Kenyan striker Michael Olunga has vowed to put a smile back on the faces of his fans as he begins a new life with Spanish side FC Girona.

Olunga completed a season loan move to Girona FC from Chinese Super League side, Ghuizhou Zhicheng on Friday, just a few hours before the La Liga transfer window shut.

“Thank you to everyone, who has been there for me during good and bad times; all I can repay you is by making you smile once I step on the pitch,’ Olunga said after penning the deal that will see him become the second Kenyan after McDonald Mariga to play in La Liga.

The former Gor Mahia, Tusker and Thika United star has had a turbulent first half season since he moved to China from Sweden early in the year, starting only seven times for Ghuizhou Zhicheng before he was plucked off the first team.

The Harambee Stars striker was relegated to Ghuizhou’s reserve squad alongside Egyptian Aly Ghazal, two of the excess foreign players in the team as Chinese Super League adopted the Foreign Quota Rule.

Chinese Super League passed a law two months ago, restricting the number of foreign players in each club to three at any given time.

In an emotional message where he also thanked his family for sticking with him during the bad times, Olunga termed the move as ‘historic’.

‘To my family, I salute you. A new leaflet to write a historical story.”

Girona Futbol Club, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Girona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded on 23 July 1930, it plays in La Liga, having been promoted at the end of the 2016–17 season.