Homecoming hero Perez fires Deportivo to promotion

Lucas Perez, aged 35, propelled his childhood club Deportivo La Coruna back into Spain's second division with a 1-0 victory over Barcelona B on Sunday.

The former Arsenal forward contributed significantly to his return to Depor in January 2023 by covering half of his transfer fee. His efforts were instrumental in securing promotion for the Galician team with two games remaining, amidst celebrations at the Riazor stadium.

Deportivo La Coruna, who clinched the LaLiga title in 2000 and made it to the Champions League semi-finals in 2004, experienced a sharp decline in recent years. Following their relegation from LaLiga in 2018, they further dropped to the third tier in 2020.

Having played for Cadiz in the top-flight last season, Perez made the decision to contribute approximately half of his 1 million euro transfer fee to embark on his third stint with Depor. His impressive performance, including 12 goals and 10 assists in the final 15 matches, was pivotal in securing promotion for the club.

Following spells in Ukraine and Greece, Perez realized his dream move to Depor in 2015. Despite being signed by Arsenal for 20 million euros in 2016, he returned to the Galician side on loan the subsequent season.

The well-traveled Perez, who has also featured for West Ham United, Alaves, and Elche, joined Cadiz in 2022.