A year ago Michu was playing in the Champions League; this weekend he hopes to play in Spain’s regionalised fourth tier as he seeks to resurrect his career. The former Spain international rescinded his contract with Swansea City this week and, paperwork permitting, will make his debut on Saturday for Unión Popular de Langreo, who are coached by his brother Hernán Pérez and play in Spain’s tercera división, which is split across 17 regionalised groups.
Michu scored 18 league goals in his first season at Swansea, prompting their chairman, Huw Jenkins, to declare him worth £30m, and made a debut for the Spanish national team during qualification for the 2014 World Cup. But he has seen his career ravaged by an ankle injury. He played only five times on loan at Napoli last season and was not part of Garry Monk’s plans at Swansea. There were offers from clubs in Spain and England over the summer but he rejected them because he was not fit.
With Swansea’s permission, Michu had began pre-season training with Langreo, only to require another operation. As he sought to overcome that he rejoined the tercera división side even though he was officially a Swansea player, finally rescinding his contract with the Welsh club this week. Now, aged 29, he hopes to be able to start again, from the bottom. He first played at this level 12 years ago.
Hernán Pérez said that Michu had recovered fully from his injury but that he had lost some of his muscle tone and still needs to see how his ankle responds to competition. He also admitted that his brother’s psychological recovery was as important as his physical recovery. “He has suffered terribly. Many people would have thrown in the towel already,” he told Radio Marca.
“[The psychological] element is possibly what we have to work on. It’s not that he’s in a bad way but it is true that he has gone from being a professional footballer to finding that interrupted now for almost two years. He has to reconnect, feel like a sportsman again, feel useful, feel healthy. He’s a strong guy and in very little time I think he will be at 100% of his mental capacity too,” Hernán Pérez said.
“Hopefully he can get back to being what he was; we are going to help him. I hope that [him playing for us] is just anecdotal and that in a few months’ time he is back playing at a higher level. If in three or four months’ time he is fine, if his ankle responds, if he recovers that muscle and if emotionally he is fine, and a first division club comes, then [he can play in] the first division; if it’s a second division club, then in the second.
“I hope he can play for a great club and if it’s not a great club, then the highest possible, so long as he really is at 100%, especially when it comes to his mental capacity. There were offers [in the summer] and many people would have signed the first contract that came along and if you can play, fine, and if you can’t, no problem. But, even though I would say this as his brother, he is very honourable and he did not want to sign with anyone until he was 100% fit. You can’t con people.”
Langreo face Caudal on Saturday, although they admit that they do not know who currently holds his international transfer – Swansea or Napoli. If they cannot get that sorted out in time, he will have to wait until the following week.
