Carlos Vela's Profile

Name: Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido
Club: Arsenal FC
D.O.B: March 1st 1989
Height: 1.78m
Weight: 72kg
Position: Striker, Second Striker

After spending the last couple of seasons on loan in Spain, young Mexican starlet Carlos Vela can finally be unleashed in the Premier League after being granted a work permit, which cleared him to play for Arsenal for the coming season. The 19-year-old striker’s route to North London has not been without fault and he has been waiting a long time for his chance in the Gunners’ first team, and the Arsenal faithful will certainly be hoping he can take it.

Starting Out

Carlos Vela was born on March 1st 1989, in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. He is the younger brother of current Cruz Azul striker Alejandro Vela. Carlos learned a great deal from his brother as a youngster, and followed him into football by signing for Chivas de Guadalajara when he was just 12 years old.

Having never played a first team game for the club, Vela was thrust into the spotlight after being selected for Mexico’s U-17 World Championship squad to play in Peru along with fellow rising star Giovani Dos Santos. This tournament proved to be a life changing one for Vela, as he ended up with the Golden Boot award after his five goals helped Mexico to lift the trophy, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final, in which Vela scored. This tournament showed the world Vela’s raw pace and clinical finishing, and in less than a month, the young striker had become a name for the future.

Vela has always been known as being very close to his family, and as the World Championship final fell on the same day as his father’s birthday, the young forward decided to dedicate his golden boot award to his father, giving it to him as a present.

After the World Championships, his club Guadalajara decided to offer him a professional contract, and as a condition of the contract, Vela insisted that his family were relocated from the then-storm-stricken town of Cancun. Jorge Vergara, President of the club, agreed, and Vela signed on professional terms with the Jalisco based side.

After some excellent performances in the Guadalajara reserves, Vela began attracting massive interest from a host of European giants including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Inter Milan. Arsenal were also on the trail of the young Mexican marksman, and in November 2005, the London based club faxed through an offer of £2.5m, which the Mexican side duly accepted. After passing a medical and agreeing a five year contract with the Gunners, all Vela and Arsenal had to do now was obtain a work permit for him, however, this would not prove so easy. His application for a work permit was rejected as he had not reached the required number of games for the national side, and his application for an ‘Exceptional Talent’ visa was also rejected by the Home Office. The Gunners appealed the decision, but in vain and finally agreed that Vela should be taken on loan by a Spanish club, until he had EU citizenship.

El Camino

Arsenal had recently formed a link with then Spanish La Liga side Celta de Vigo, and Vela was sent on loan there for the remainder of the 2005/2006 season. He failed to make much impact during his time with Celta and did not play a single game in the five months he was there. Celta planned to take Vela on loan again for the following season, but pulled out of the deal as they were restricted by a law on non Spanish players. The loan and link with Celta was cancelled and Arsenal looked for another club to take him on loan for the 2006/2007 season.

UD Salamanca of the Spanish Segunda were chosen and after a very brief settling in period, Vela became a regular in the side, scoring 8 goals in 31 games, and becoming a fan favourite in the process.

Even after the year and a half Vela had spent in Spain, EU regulations and British Work Permit laws still restricted him from becoming an EU citizen.

After his impressive displays in the Spanish Segunda playing for Salamanca, Vela had attracted massive interest from some La Liga sides including UD Levante, Real Betis, Osasuna and UD Almeria, who all made loan offers for the youngster.

In the summer of 2007, Vela agreed a one year loan switch to La Liga side Osasuna, and had an option of a one year extension to the deal, but no permanent deal was put in place, as Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seemed desperate to keep hold of the talent he knew Vela had.

The season started well for Vela with Osasuna, with his impressive displays earning praise from the Spanish media, and this media attention was increased when he scored his first goal for the club against Real Betis in a La Liga league game in October 2007. The goal displayed Vela’s strengths as he played a neat one two with a teammate and with a smart, powerful finish with his educated left foot into the top corner of the goal, Vela put his side 2-0 up in an eventual 3-0 win. The young Mexican had begun to make his talent known on the big stage.

He followed that goal up with smart finishes against Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid, showing that he had skill and patience to match his raw talent and pace. He finished the season with Osasuna with 3 goals in a very healthy 33 appearances for the club, in turn giving him invaluable experience in one of Europe’s toughest leagues.

Lessons Learned

Speaking to Arsenal’s club website in the summer of 2008, Vela reflected on a successful learning curve in Spain, saying, “It has helped me, first of all it taught me what it was like being away from your home country - that helped me grow up as a person and as a player. I think that the Spanish and English style of football is the best in the world. I think also that playing against the best players in the world can only help me grow as a player. The whole experience was a big lesson for me. I think that I achieved the targets I had there because I had more minutes on the pitch and gained more experience.”

His first team international career was also kick started with his displays in Spain’s top division, and he made his debut for the Mexican first team in September 2007 in a friendly against Brazil. His first international goal came against Guatemala in a friendly in Los Angeles a month later. Since then, Vela has made 5 further appearances for his country, and now has a goal scoring tally of 4 goals in 7 games, an impressive statistic for someone still learning his trade on the big stage.

Vela returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2008, and has started pre season training with the first team, after finally being granted a work permit on the 22nd May. Arsene Wenger has likened Vela’s playing style to that of current Arsenal star Eduardo, and commented on the Mexican’s talents by telling the club’s website, “He has played the whole season at Osasuna on the left wing and he had to work hard there, but for me it is not his position, he is a central striker, an Eduardo type. He is a great young player.”

Vela also spoke to the club’s website, expressing his delight at finally being able to play for the club by saying, “I am very proud to finally be here and I am truly very happy, I have been waiting three years for this moment and now I am here I will work very hard to earn my place in the first-team and I hope to be at this club for a very long time.”

Arsene Wenger has publically said that Vela, who has been given the number 12 shirt, will be part of his first team plans for the coming season, and Gunners’ fans will hope he can reach the high standards set by the likes of Thierry Henry, Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp, and eventually go on to achieve legendary status at the club.