Ghanaian midfield star Thomas Partey has expressed his joy after making his first appearance for Villarreal, coming off the bench in a pre-season clash against Aston Villa at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

The 31-year-old, who recently signed a two-year deal with the Spanish outfit after leaving Arsenal in June, featured in the second half as the Yellow Submarine fell 2-0 to their Premier League opponents.

Aston Villa struck early through Ollie Watkins in the 23rd minute, before Emiliano Buendia doubled the lead just four minutes into the second half.

Sharing his thoughts on Instagram, Partey posted:

> “First minutes in the tank, God is good.”

With Villarreal preparing for their UEFA Champions League campaign, Partey’s vast experience — including his previous La Liga stint with Atletico Madrid — is expected to be pivotal in the club’s 2025/26 season ambitions.