'I'm happy being Juan of the boys'

By Andy Rose

05 December 2004

JUAN UGARTE may not quite be up to Arsenal-slayer Neil Mellor's standard but Wrexham-are glad to have him just the same.

Racecourse boss Denis Smith had been trying to land Mellor on loan from Liverpool earlier in the season when the door was politely but firmly closed in his face.

Instead Smith was tipped off about Ugarte, who had been chasing a trial at Anfield through best friend and Liverpool star Xavi Alonso.

A month later and Ugarte has signed for Wrexham until the end of the season while Mellor, having destroyed champions Arsenal with a spectacular late winner last weekend, is now in the treatment room.

Mellor may have hogged the national headlines for a short while but Ugarte is no less a hero with his new club after turning midweek match-winner against local rivals Chester City.

Ugarte scored the solitary goal to put Wrexham into the semi-finals of the LDV Trophy in the first meeting between the two neighbours in seven years.

Not bad on the one side. But then not good either, especially if you need to go to the local supermarket... in Chester.

Ugarte is currently living on the outskirts of the city at the invitation of local businessman Geoff Moss and admits he is trying to keep a low profile at present.

"A lot of people have told me that I've become an instant hero after scoring that goal against Chester," said Ugarte.

"I don't feel like a hero. All I did was score a goal but to do it against Chester wasn't a bad way to start off.

"I'm living near Chester at the moment and I like to go into town to walk around and visit the shops when I can.

"But the other day I bumped into Chester's goalkeeper Wayne Brown who wanted to strangle me after scoring the goal against him.

"Perhaps I should stay away for a little while longer."

Playing for Wrexham may not be every child's dream but Ugarte has a burning ambition to make his mark in the English game after moving from San Sebastian in Spain.

A spell with Conference South side Dorchester was hardly the most auspicious of starts.

But after catching up with old school chum Alonso at Anfield, Ugarte found his way to North Wales.

Ugarte joined Real Sociedad straight from school with Alonso where they came under the tutelage of new Wales boss John Toshack.

"Even when I was in Spain I have always wanted to play in England and now I have that chance to fulfil my dream," said Ugarte.

"I spoke to a lot of people about the game over here and I would talk to John Toshack about English football. They all told me that it was a great place to play football."

While the former Real Sociedad fringe player is delighted to have been given his big chance his choice of club could be considered questionable bearing in mind the club's current plight.

Ugarte and fellow short-term signing Scott Green were the last men through the door at the Racecourse with a transfer embargo now in place after the club was put into administration on Friday.

But while many may question the sanity of joining a club more than £2.5m in debt and facing the prospect of relegation after the Football League docked them 10 points, Ugarte insists he will not let it deter him achieving his ambition.

"I honestly think the club is going to be fine," said Ugarte in a demonstration of the sunny disposition which has already made him a popular figure in the dressing room.

"I don't know all the details over the financial problems but I don't think this is something that just happens in the English league.

"Money is the root of problems for clubs all over the world. It is the same in Spain, in Argentina, all over.

"I don't see it as something I can do much about, so all I can do is concentrate on playing."

From the way he speaks it is clear that Ugarte is clearly revelling in the unique atmosphere of a British football changing room.

And he admits: "It was always far more serious in Spain.

"The atmosphere among the players over here is fantastic, even though the club has its problems.

"There is so much laughing over here, especially in training.

"My team-mates all give the impression that they go out there to enjoy themselves which is how I like to live my life."

But don't ask him who he likes best in the Wrexham dressing room.

"I feel like maybe I have four or five best friends at the moment I wouldn't like to pick one over the others."