Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela is a professional footballer from Mexico who currently plays for the Spanish League side Real Sociedad as a forward. Vela started playing football at a very young age and was snapped by the Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara where he spent his years progressing through the academy ranks.

His exploits for the academy side of the club earned him a call up toe Mexico squad for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup of 2005 where he was the stand out performer in the side that defeated Brazil to take the title and he finished the tournament with the Golden Boot as the top scorer with five goals. His performances made the president of the club offer him a contract but Premier League giants Arsenal swooped in for the 17 year old and agreed a deal worth £ 125,000 to bring him to England.

However, the work permit rules in England for non-European Union citizens meant Carlos Vela could not be included in the squad and he was immediately loaned out to Spanish side Celta de Vigo. This loan spell, however, proved to be very unsuccessful and Vela returned to Arsenal without playing a match. He was farmed out on loan again, this time to UD Salamanca and then to Osasuna before loaned out to West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League.

He joined Sociedad on loan ahead of the 2011/12 season and spent a successful period at the side and the club decided to pay his buyout clause to Arsenal and sign Carlos Vela permanently, a decision that has been justified by the performances of the player, who has scored 14 goals in 36 league games for the side so far and was one of the stand out performers for the side as they qualified for the UEFA Champions League last season.