Muniain: I've been through difficult times

Iker Muniain has revealed his relief at a recall to the Spanish national squad after his last senior cap came in 2012.

The Athletic Club winger has enjoyed an impressive few months of form and could feature against Norway in Spain's opening Euro 2020 qualifier on Saturday.

Speaking to the press 48 hours before the game, Muniain was grateful for a return to La Roja.

"It's been a long time coming," he said of his call-up.

"I've been through difficult moments and the pain is worth living these moments again."

One of the reasons for his struggles to return to international football has been his unfortunate luck with injuries.

"Injuries have marked my journey," he said. "Now they've given me the opportunity and here I am. The first injury came when I was on the up and the second when I'd just returned. I didn't give up.

"It takes a lot to come back from a knee injury. I changed my mentality. You value things differently and this helped me get back to my best. Things are more enjoyable if you've worked for them. I'm proud of this."

Muniain isn't the only new face in Luis Enrique's squad with Getafe striker Jaime Mata another notable inclusion.

"I've heard a lot about him and he's cold-blooded in front of goal," Muniain said. "I congratulate him on what he's doing."

Enrique took his squad out for a game of laser tag as part of a team boding exercise on Thursday.

"The boss decided to do something different and we did it as a group," Muniain said. "It was good to disconnect."