Ulises De la Cruz: Player Profile

Ah, tales of Brave Ulises. Ecuadorian international Ulises De la Cruz should be a big part of his country’s efforts at Germany 2006, but the 32-year-old midfielder seems to have disappeared at Aston Villa.

UDLC, as he’s sometimes known, is a pacy right wing-back who is quite skilled at sending dangerous crosses into the box. He played for LDU Quito in the Ecuadorian domestic league until his move to Hibernian of the Scottish Premier League in the summer of 2001. De la Cruz was an immediate hit with Hibs’ supporters, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Hearts that October.

The summer of 2002 saw De la Cruz joining La Tri for their trip to Japan/Korea 2002. De La Cruz was one of Ecuador’s top performers in the tournament, but the team crashed out before the knockout rounds. Fatefully, one of the many chattering TV heads at that World Cup was then-Aston Villa boss Graham Taylor. Taylor was impressed and saw to it that De La Cruz left Hibs for a footballing life south of Hadrian’s wall.

During the 2002-2003 EPL Season, De La Cruz struggled to adjust to his new environs. The next two seasons, however, saw him flourish under new coach David O’Leary. De la Cruz even started 30 matches in 2004-2005. This season, however, UDLC has started only two games (both defeats).

Either way, De la Cruz will feature prominently in Ecuador’s World Cup adventure. But it would be nice if he could get out of his contract at Villa so that he can be sharp for the Cup.