Forlan rules out England return

Uruguay's Diego Forlan (R) shoots past Netherlands' Joris Mathijsen to score during their 2010 World Cup semi-final soccer match at Green Point stadium in Cape Town July 6, 2010. [Agencies]

CAPE TOWN - Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has ruled out ever returning to the English Premier League.

The 31-year-old scored a goal for Uruguay although the South Americans lost 3-2 to the Netherlands in their World Cup semifinal match Tuesday.

Forlan was an integral part of the Atletico Madrid side that won the Europa League, scoring a vital goal against Liverpool in the semifinal before his late strike secured the trophy for the Spanish side in the final against Fulham.

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However, he endured a turbulent two-and-half-year period in England when he took 27 games to score for Manchester United and he left for Villarreal in August 2004.

Now Forlan maintains he will never return to play in England despite being linked with Tottenham.

He was quoted in the Daily Express, saying: "Tottenham are a club who are going in the right direction but I have no interest in joining the Premier League with any club.

"For a start, Spain is much hotter and also it is my home now.

"We have some very exciting young players and I am excited for the season.

"I will never play in England again but I still actually look back with fond memories at some moments."

Of his time at Old Trafford, Forlan believes he could have struck up a good partnership with Wayne Rooney whose arrival coincided with his departure.

"I was very young at Manchester United and I feel that I was just starting to find my feet when I was sold and Rooney was brought in.

"If we had been paired together I think we could have formed the most devastating strike partnership in Europe but it wasn't to be."