Borja Valero

Borja Valero Iglesias (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈborxa βaˈleɾo]; born 12 January 1985) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Italian club Fiorentina as a central midfielder.

Best known for his technique and passing ability, he began his career with Real Madrid but did not have any impact with its first team, and played for Mallorca and in England for West Bromwich Albion before joining Villarreal in 2010.

Over the course of five seasons, Valero amassed La Liga totals of 139 games and 16 goals.

Club career

Real Madrid

Valero was born in Madrid, and began his football career as a youngster in the ranks of Real Madrid. He made his first appearance for the B-side in Segunda División B as a second-half substitute, took part in the playoffs to earn promotion and played two full seasons in Segunda División.

Valero played only twice for the first team: given his debut by Fabio Capello against Écija on 25 October 2006, replacing Javi García after 60 minutes of a match for the Copa del Rey, he also featured once in the UEFA Champions League, substituting Miguel Ángel Nieto in a 2–2 away draw with Dynamo Kyiv in the group stage.