The Pride of Vallekas

When he started for Segunda B side Olímpic de Xàtiva shy of his 37th birthday, he had previously played just two seasons in the Segunda B. His first had come shy of his 26th birthday; his second had come shy of his 30th. He has played in just three leagues his entire life - the Preferente Valenciana, the Tercera Group 6 and the Segunda B Group 3. Yes, that's right, every club he has played for has been in the Valencian Community. It all started at Acero, in the fifth tier in 1994, with whom he won promotion. After one season in the Tercera with the club, he moved to Valencia C for a season, and then to Burjassot for three seasons - all in the same tier. In 2000, Alzira, in the Segunda B, gave him a chance; however, despite being an undisputed first team player, the side were relegated and his Segunda B chances looked all but dashed - he would spend another season at Alzira, before signing for Alcoyano in the Tercera in 2002. What followed was a second Segunda B shot - Alcoyan...

In 2012, a defender, a midfielder and a striker, all playing for Levante, made the bold leap to a country no Spaniard had ever been before. In late January, 2012, center-back Nano Rivas was sold to Guizhou Renhe. Two months later, in March, striker Rafael Jordà was on his way. And three months later still, in June, diminutive midfielder Rubén Suárez was on his way.... You can read part 1, featuring Nano Rivas, here . And part 2, featuring Rafael Jordà, here . His father was a legend. Secundino Suárez, aka Cundi, was a Sporting Gijón legend and spent his professional career almost entirely with his local team, save for a one-year loan spell with Poblense (1976-77) due to compulsory military service. From the age of 20 onwards, he was an undisputed starter for the La Liga club, appearing in nearly 400 competitive games during his 15-year spell (1975-90). And yet, the left-back did not receive one single red card during his career. He too started out in Sporting Gijón's...