Alan Varela: A Footballing Legend at FC Porto
Alan Varela was born in Spain and began his footballing career playing for the youth teams of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia CF before moving to the English Premier League with West Ham United.
Varela's talent was immediately recognized by Manchester City who signed him on loan from West Ham in January 2011. He made his debut for City against Manchester United in the FA Cup but failed to impress enough to secure a permanent contract.
In May 2011, Varela moved to Portuguese club FC Porto, where he spent four years as captain of the team. During this time, he won two La Liga titles (2014-15 and 2016-17) and the UEFA Champions League in 2017. Varela is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to wear the red and white shirt at Porto.
After leaving Porto, Varela continued to play for several clubs including Real Sociedad,Ligue 1 Focus Deportivo de la Coruña, Alavés and Athletic Bilbao. In 2018, he joined French side Ligue 1 club Lyon after winning the Coupe de France with the French national team.
Despite his success, Varela remains a highly respected figure in Spanish football. He has been described as "the most important player of the past few decades" by ESPN and has been named as one of the best footballers of all time by the BBC. Varela is known for his technical ability, tactical vision and leadership qualities, and is often cited as one of the greatest footballers of all time.