Mexico international Pablo Barrera has moved from West Ham to Mexico City based club Cruz Azul.

The signing ends a miserable two years with West Ham for Barrera, but the 25-year-old denied that returning to Mexico is a backwards step.

“It´s not going backwards because I´m coming to a great team and a great club and I´m very happy to be here,” Barrera told the press. “I´m coming mentally prepared and with big ambition.”

The unveiling of Barrera ended an on-off saga in the Mexican press over whether the right-winger would be coming back across the Atlantic.

“I learned a lot of things, I´m a different Pablo mentally and in other aspects,” said Barrera. “I´m coming to do my little bit for the institution in the fight for the championship.”

Cruz Azul hired Barrera´s former coach at Pumas Guillermo Vazquez earlier this summer, which eased the passage of Barrera to one of his former club´s rival teams.

The announcement is Cruz Azul´s third signing this summer, following the arrival of Colombian Luis Amaranto Perea from Atletico Madrid and Argentine striker Mariano Pavone. Rumors in the Mexican press suggest the club is in the market for one more player before registration closes on July 10.

Barrera is the fourth player to join the Mexican first division from Europe this summer after Raul Tamudo and Nery Castillo signed for Pachuca and Efrain Juarez went to America.

For legendary Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez, who also returned to Mexico this summer to coach Pachuca, the return of players is a positive thing for the league.

“All of them are going to raise the level of Mexican football,” said Sanchez. “We are here to contribute and give to it.”

By Tom Marshall (@MexicoWorldCup)