Barcelona's David Villa has received a gift of 1,000 paper cranes from Japanese fans as he continues his recovery from a broken leg.
The Spanish star fractured his tibia during the Club World Cup semi-final against Al-Sadd in Japan in December and is now stepping up his rehab.
Villa, who is expected to return in April, is a loved player in Japan with many Barcelona supporters in the country getting together to send him symbols of support which he has revealed was a well-received gesture.
"I will keep these with a lot of affection. I am sure that they will give me good luck and I will be able to return stronger.
"Even though I was injured in Japan, I have great memories. We won a very important title for the club and for me, it was the most important title that I had yet to win.
"I want to thank them for all the time they spent doing this for me.""All of these things give me strength to keep on going and continue with my recovery," Villa said.