In the last of our international A-League signings, Mario Arqués joins us with the ambition of solidifying our midfield in the upcoming season thanks to a wealth of experience under his belt.
Having made his way up through the academies of prestigious Spanish clubs, the 29-year-old has also made a name for himself in India, Malaysia and Ukraine, and now he’s looking to do the same in Australia.
This is Mario’s journey so far.
THE BEGINNING
For Mario, his football journey started on the Mediterranean port in the city of Alicante in Valencia where he was born, before making his way north to Villarreal.
There he began to make his football dream come true as part of the Villarreal youth academy where he learned to develop his game.
At 19-years-old, he spent a season on long at Orihuela, playing in the third division in Spain, but after featuring heavily throughout his time there, instead of returning to Villarreal, he signed with his hometown club of Valencia and played multiple seasons in their reserve side.
Arqués left in 2014 to join fellow Spanish club Elche FC, and it was here where he made a dream come true.
THE BREAKTHROUGH
Playing in their reserve side, Mario impressed at Elche scoring seven goals over the season and his performances earned him a call-up to the top team.
At the age of 23, he featured in the La Liga after being used as a substitute against Athletico Madrid.
While that was Arqués’ only appearance in the top league, he continued to be a consistent presence in the lower division, particularly after signing with Sporting de Gijon where he featured in almost every game for their reserve team, scoring three goals.
He featured heavily once again the following season with Alcoyano and helped them to a second place finish and in their battle for promotion.
In 2017, the midfielder maestro made the decision to leave his home nation and try his hand elsewhere in Europe in the Premier Liga, the top division in Ukraine, with Karpaty Lviv.
Since then, the new Jets recruit has enjoyed a stint in the Indian Super League with Jamshedpur FC leading them to a push for finals despite having one of the smallest transfer budgets in the league, and at the Kerala Blasters.
THE PRESENT
Having spent a season in Malaysia, Arqués is now the final piece of the puzzle for Arthur Papas’ new-look Jets.
Having only just recently completed his quarantine, the experienced midfielder is still settling in, but look for him to thrive once he hits the pitch.
With a terrific passing skill and innate ability to read the game, Mario will be trusted upon to lead our side around from the middle of the park, and to help the host of young players competing for spots in the same area.
Mario’s journey doesn’t stop now. The best is yet to come.
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