The Pride of Vallekas

The fight isn't on the pitch. Carlos Aranda is known for his work ethic and his sheer determination. But that fight, that desire, that temperamental figure on the pitch is a result of the saddening circumstances off it. Carlos was born in Málaga, Andalusia. His father abandoned him when he was little, and at the age of nine, his mother - a drug addict - died of cancer. Raised by his grandparents, his training at local club El Palo was overshadowed by the training of an early adulthood - he would fish octopuses to sell to restaurants in Málaga. It was Vicente del Bosque who discovered the young forward at El Palo, and took him to Madrid - but he didn't fit in. The glamour didn't suit him, and he even tried fleeing the club - Real Madrid had to assign him a private tutor. "Mischievous", Vicente called him, many years later. Somehow, despite all the odds, he graduated but never played in La Liga; however, he played a small part in two UEFA Champions League-...

Follow Jonathan Mullin on Twitter here . There is a new Racing UK Supporters club! Follow them on Twitter here . On that note, follow the official club Twitter account here . How long have you been a fan of Racing Santander and what made you support them in the first place? I've followed Racing since I was young, the first game I went to was in 1993 so I'd have been 9 years old and ten years later, by chance, I found myself in Santander for a year as part of my degree so I think it was just meant to be. Given the transfer windows and the squad that was assembled at the start of the season, is Racing Santander where you want it to be? It is important that Racing get promoted this year, given all of the well documented financial and ownership problems the club has had over the last seven years or so it is nice to at least have some stability back but Racing is a club that belongs in Primera. It will be a long road back there but promotion this season would certainly be...