Jose Antonio Reyes the Man at Vicente Calderon – La Liga Special
Jose Antonio Reyes has been with Atletico Madrid since 2007, when he arrived from English club, Arsenal FC. The Spanish winger has since become an integral part of the setup at http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Vicente-c36001 Calderon and his performances for Los Rojiblancos have earned rave reviews
from pundits all over the world. An untouchable in Gregorio Manzano’s squad for the upcoming La Liga campaign, only good is being expected from the Spaniard.
Reyes came through the youth ranks of Sevilla, where he was a setup since he was ten years old. He came into prominence with Sevilla’s first team for whom he scored 22 goals in 86 competitive appearances. Able to play anywhere at the front of the attacking
unit, Reyes earned a strong repute for himself in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Spain-c3011.
Arsenal scouts were happy with what they saw, a magnanimous transfer deal was struck between the two parties and Reyes swapped http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ramón-c30536 Sanchez Pizjuán for Highbury. He returned to his homeland after a gap of two years, on loan at Real Madrid. While his stay
at Santiago Bernabeu was decent at best, it was the red and white of Madrid that secured his services.
Unable to settle in the Spanish capital at first, Reyes found his feet in his second season at the club. At the start of the 2011 summer transfer window, Turkish powerhouse, Galatasaray raided Vicente Calderon. The Turks were interested in Tomas Ujfalusi,
Diego Forlan and Reyes. Ujfalusi moved across the Mediterranean, Forlan was deemed expendable but the club hierarchy tagged Reyes as untouchable.
The 21-time capped international has been phenomenal in recent seasons. Atletico Madrid were struggling with financial problems when talismanic captain http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Torres-c13707 moved away from Vicente Calderon. Reyes was brought in to fill the void in attack. Striving
in pressure situations, the Spaniard has emerged as the latest cult hero, winning many a praise in many a song.
He was an integral member of the squad that won the inaugural UEFA Europa League in 2010 under manager Quique Sanchez Flores. Reyes was instrumental in the run up to the final as Atletico knocked out one European titan after another to win the trophy after
a gap of 15 years.
Reyes was one of the stars of 2010/11 La Liga campaign even though the club had a disappointing term. Los Rojiblancos ended a paltry seventh owing much to dressing room troubles sparked by star striker Diego Forlan. The Uruguayan failed to score in 12 games
straight and was an utter failure for his club side. Had it not been Reyes and Aguero to the rescue of the Capital club, things would have been even worse. The club managed to secure Europa League qualification, and Reyes has picked up where he left of at
the end of the season.
The former Arsenal star has been in scintillating form for his employers in the qualification phases of Europa League. He scored a brace as Atletico Madrid won 2-1 against Strømsgodset. He was on the mark again in the second leg at Vicente Calderon, setting
up http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Adrián-López-c3736 for the first and putting another past the goalkeeper himself.
It looks set to be a promising year for Jose Antonio Reyes, who will be looking to fulfil his potential as one of the most breathtaking players, who failed to live up to their hype. With a strong opening to the campaign, it would be great if he manages to
end it on a similar note, and perhaps even better.
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