Former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola returns to boyhood club River Plate

Javier Saviola who has played for a host of big European clubs will return to his boyhood club River Plate

Buenos Aires, June 24 (IANS) Argentine forward Javier Saviola has gone through his medical examination to enable him to play for Argentinian football club River Plate. The 33-year-old, who played for Argentina in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, admitted to being "excited" to join the team, reports Xinhua.

"I hope to join the group and start to train. I am excited about this. It is the moment I had to return. It is a beautiful moment and a stage in which expectations are very high," Saviola said on Tuesday.

"Returning to where I was born, where I was very happy," said the striker, who has a contract with Italian side Hellas Verona until June 30, after which he is free.

Saviola has already agreed the terms of his return to River Plate with the management and trainer Marcelo Gallardo. The forward came through River Plate youth ranks playing his first match in the first division when he was only 16. In that match, he scored a goal in the 2-2 draw away to Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy.

After leaving River Plate in 2001 at 19, Saviola moved to Europe and since then has played for FC Barcelona (Spain), Monaco (France), Sevilla (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain), Benfica (Portugal), Malaga (Spain), Olympiacos (Greece) and Hellas Verona.