SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio FC fans knew the excitement they were in for when forward Billy Forbes elected to sign with the club this offseason. According to Forbes, their presence was a major motivator in making his return to the Alamo City.

“The atmosphere and the friendship and the love that I feel on the field,” Forbes told SanAntonioFC.com’s Anja Rosales on what made his prior stint in San Antonio so successful. “I’ve made some great friends, and I let the fans into my life and talk to them after games, so it’s great to see they show their appreciation and still love me to this day. That’s what motivated me to come back and play here.”

Forbes brought a championship to the city in 2014, his rookie season, and has built an impressive professional resume over the past three years with 13 goals and 19 assists in 80 regular season and postseason games. His arrival with SAFC also reunited him with former teammates Rafa Castillo and Cesar Elizondo, and Coaches Juan Lamadrid and Nick Evans, both assistants on Head Coach Darren Powell’s team.

“It’s great to be back with them,” said Forbes. “I love the coaching staff, I’ve been around Juan and I’ve been around Nick, who is a great mentor of mine, so the coaching staff is pretty great.”

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SAFC opened training camp this week with the focus of integrating a number of new faces into the group. Forbes has been impressed with what he’s seen so far, with the majority of the squad having brought strong professional pedigrees with them to the preseason.

The focus for the Turks & Caicos international, though, is firmly fixed on SAFC’s home opener against the LA Galaxy II on Saturday, April 1, and getting the chance the thrill San Antonio’s soccer fans again.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “It’s going to be special.”