David Villa's career has been beyond his wildest dreams.
He's Spain's all-time leading goalscorer, a World Cup, European Championship and Champions League winner, while the list of individual and team accolades he's accrued is endless.
"Football was much, much more than I hoped it would be," the New York City FC striker told CNN ahead of his team's opening day MLS defeat to Orlando. "If I dreamed as a kid, I could never have foreseen such amazing things."
Born in Asturias, northern Spain, Villa credits his career to a foundation of dedication and graft, traits which, perhaps unsurprisingly, run in the blood given his father, Jose Manuel, was a coal miner.
"I've worked hard, I've fought to be where I am," Villa added. "The people around me have made a lot of sacrifices to help me."
Not that Villa, who has entered his 16th year as a professional footballer, has any desire to reminisce about his career just yet.
"Looking back and thinking about the past and what I've done makes no sense -- I'd like to keep achieving things. Then, when I retire, I will appreciate everything that's happened and everything I've achieved."