Panaji: FC Goa continue to show faith in Spanish players with Alex Vallejo, a former junior international, being the club’s latest foreign acquisition.Goa had five foreign players at the start of last season with Serbian winger Dejan Drazic the only exception. Now, after completing the signing of Argentinian winger Franchu, the club has opted for Vallejo as their second foreign player.Vallejo has experience of playing in Spanish second division besides a two-year spell with Huddersfield Town in the Championship, a rung below the Premier League in England. The experienced midfielder also had spells with top division clubs in Hungary, Cyprus and Poland.“Alex is very comfortable on the ball and someone who combines that with great industry off it,” said a senior official at the club. “Goa have always been a team that has looked to dictate the play and have always relied on midfielders who can control the tempo of the game. He is capable of precisely that. He will be asset to the team when looking to winning the midfield battles. He is also a seasoned campaigner and will bring experience and leadership to the FC Goa dressing room.”The 34-year-old spent the last three years in Hungary where he was an influential player for Diosgyori VTK. The Spanish midfielder made 83 appearances in the Hungarian top division league, scoring four goals. 27 appearances came last season, four of them as captain.Vallejo is expected to provide tactical discipline and defensive stability to Goa, stepping into the boots of David Timor, who held the team together during the AFC Champions League Two campaign but left before the Indian Super League (ISL) could kick off.
