Diego Nicolas Villar began his playing career in his home country of Argentina, with Newell’s Old Boys. In 2001, he made his debut for the team and went on to be a part of their squad for 4 seasons, playing just 31 matches in that time. In search of regular action, Villar moved to Santiago Wanderers, in Chile, but after a short stay, moved on to Godoy Cruz. At Cruz, he got to play regularly, getting 70 games in two seasons before moving to Arsenal de Sarandi in 2007. He scored once in the 11 games he played for the team, and was part of the squad that won the 2007 Copa Sudamericana title. In 2008, he moved to Gimnasia La Plata in February itself.