"Obviously, at first I didn't imagine all this and what was going to happen to me, but in the end it happened, so I'm very happy to continue like this," he told Mundo Deportivo.
"I came with a very clear idea when I left Barcelona and signed for Villarreal - and that was that I wanted to succeed here at this club. I am going to always try to be at my best and I am going to give everything. In the end, I have taken advantage of the situation - and Yeremy's bad luck has been good for me, so to speak."
Ilias admits that he had many proposals, but when he saw "everything that was on the table" his decision was clear and he told his relatives as much.
"I watched Villarreal, who in the end had an incredible end to the season and I didn't think about it. Now that they (his family) see me performing here, they are very happy."