The flames of the Canary Derby burned out last night as Las Palmas FC became the legendary finale of the Gran Canaria Stadium. In this sparkling archipelago of southwestern Spain, the Canary Islands are known for their many soccer talents. Let's take a look at six of these star-studded players!
Pedro (name)
Pedro, from the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is not big in stature but is known for his excellent dribbling and passing abilities. In his seven seasons in the Barcelona first team, he made 321 appearances, scoring 99 goals and assisting 62 times, helping the team win 20 trophies. One of his most memorable goals was in the 2010/11 Champions League final, when he helped his team beat Manchester United for the record.
After leaving Barcelona, Pedro moved to Chelsea in the Premier League and Roma in Serie A, and now plays for Lazio. It is worth mentioning that two players, Patrick and Luis Alberto, were also part of the Barcelona ladder.
Padre (name)
Pedri, 20, is playing with Spain at the World Cup. A midfielder who showed unrivaled footwork and passing ability at Barcelona, he is seen as a future star and a hope for the rise of the Spanish national team.In 2018, at the age of 16, Pedri joined the Las Palmas youth team, was promoted to the first-team squad in the summer of 2019 and officially joined Barcelona for the 2020/21 season. He scored four goals and contributed six assists in 52 games and played with the team at the Euros and Olympics, helping Spain reach the quarterfinals and the Olympic final.
Pedri has excelled in La Liga since the beginning of the season and was officially named to the Spanish national team roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on November 11th. In the first round of the World Cup group stage, he started for 57 minutes, contributing two scoops to help Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0.
David Silva
Born in 1986 in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, David Silva currently plays for Real Sociedad. An all-round player in central midfield, he made a name for himself at the Valencia youth academy and rose to fame in the second year of his career, scoring 10 goals and contributing 7 assists in various matches for Valencia in 2010, becoming the team's star of the show, and successfully joining Manchester City at the end of the season.
During his decade in Manchester, Silva helped the team win numerous honors and had a statue erected outside the Etihad Stadium.After the 2018 World Cup, Silva announced his retirement from the national team and went on to become a legend for the Matildas with 125 goals, 35 assists, two Europa League titles, and one World Cup title.
Hesse
Born in 1993, Hesse made his debut for Real Madrid's youth team, making his first-team debut in 2011 as a substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo, and was promoted to the first team in 2013. However, in the Champions League match against Schalke 04 in March 2014, Hesse left the field after only two minutes of confrontation with rival defender Kolasinac due to an injury, and was eventually diagnosed with a complete tear of the cruciate ligament in his right knee and was lost for the season.
Injuries became a turning point in Hesse's career. He left Paris Saint-Germain after winning the Champions League with the team in the 2015/16 season, but did not find his form there. He then briefly returned to his hometown Las Palmas, traveling to Stoke City, Real Betis and Sporting Portugal before eventually returning to the Gran Canaria.
Peléron (grape type)
Having won the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup for Deportivo La Coruña, Belleón was a key contributor to La Coruña's return to the Primera División in the 2011/12 season. At national team level, he played in Euro 2000, Euro 2004 and the 2002 World Cup, and came on as a substitute for Xavi in a friendly against China in 2005, helping Spain to a 3-0 win.
In 2013, Velelon left his hometown side Las Palmas after abandoning his 2015 contract with Deportivo La Coruña.In the 2014/15 season, he helped lead the team to promotion with 27 appearances. In the 2015/16 season, the 41-year-old Velelon came on as a substitute for Las Palmas against Barcelona. Prior to that, he officially announced that he would retire at the end of the season. Every corner of the Camp Nou was filled with long-lasting applause as everyone paid tribute to this living fossil of Spanish soccer.
Vieira
In 2018, Vieira joined Beijing Guoan and played for the team for three and a half years. He made 88 appearances, scoring 30 goals and contributing 30 assists, and was hailed by many Beijing fans as the best midfielder in the team's history.In 2021, China's Guoan announced the termination of Vieira's contract, and he officially returned to Las Palmas.
At present, Vieira is still an indispensable member of Las Palmas. In May this year, Vieira helped his team go undefeated for the sixth consecutive round in a penalty shootout in the final round of the Segunda B, placing them fourth in the league and entering the promotion playoffs. Vieira has also had an outstanding season, leading Las Palmas to second place in the table, winning the Canary Derby.
