Forgotten Wanderers #4: Salva Ballesta

Salvador Ballesta Vialcho, native of Zaragoza, Spain, took a roundabout way of arriving into the English Premier League (or EPL if you're a spanner) in 2003.

Beginning his career at Sevilla in 1994, your man was a striker of considerable repute, scoring goals at Sevilla and Racing Santander, before rocking up at Atletico Madrid in the year 2000 (not much has changed but they live underwater).

He won the La Liga title in 2001 after moving to join Rafa Benitez at Valencia, before finally taking a crack at the big time joining Bolton Wanderers in 2003. Making a mere six appearances, alongside fellow loanees Florent Laville and Pierre-Yves Andre. He failed to trouble the scorers, but certainly troubled whichever company we employed to make fat-ass football shorts. He had quite the booty on him.

Atletico Madrid sent Salva on loan to Malaga the year after, where he struck 18 times in 34 games. He went back to Atletico on loan again, netting only seven times in 28 appearances.

A successful four years at Malaga followed, after a permanent move, before his career wound up at Levante at Albacete.

Salva Ballesta. Not as fat as Jardel, but fat nonetheless.

We salute you.