MADRID, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Barcelona forward David Villa
celebrated returning from an eight-month injury lay-off by
coming off the bench to score in his team's 5-1 rout of Real
Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday.
The 30-year-old, Spain's all-time leading scorer with 51
goals, broke his left leg at the Club World Cup last December
and missed the national team's Euro 2012 triumph as he continued
his recovery.
He came on as a substitute for Pedro in the 74th minute of
Barcelona's league opener to a huge ovation from the Nou Camp,
and swept a shot inside the far post, after a pullback from
Andres Iniesta, to crown his return with six minutes left.
Villa peeled away to celebrate, pulling off his shirt to
reveal a vest with "Impossible without you" written on it above
a photo of his wife and children.
"He has suffered a lot, he has had a considerable injury and
he is back," Barca team mate Xavi told Spanish television.
"It was a good win but the best news of all is the return of
'El Guaje' ('The Kid'), we have missed him."
(Writing by Mark Elkington; Editing by Tim Hart)
