Everyone has heard of Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso and Cesc Fabregas, but what about Emilio Aldecoa?

England v Spain
International Friendly
8pm, Wednesday 7 February 2007
Old Trafford, Manchester
Buy tickets online - click here

Tickets went on sale this morning for next month's friendly international with Spain.

When the two teams step out at Old Trafford, many club team-mates will be lining up against one another. These days we are well used to seeing top Spanish footballers in action for Premiership clubs - Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal, Alonso, Garcia and Reina at Liverpool and the in-form Arteta at Everton, to name just a few.

But who was the first Spaniard to ply his trade in England? Well, Spaniards have actually played in the English League since the 1940s.

Emilio Aldecoa, a left-winger who played once for the Spanish national team, arrived in England as a Spanish Civil War refugee in 1937. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from a Staffordshire works team in 1943, finishing his first season as leading scorer.

He switched to Coventry City for the start of the 1945-46 season, scoring on his first-team debut at home to Portsmouth. The following season, as League football resumed after the war, he made 29 appearances for the Sky Blues but didn't find the net.

He returned to Spain in 1947 and played at the top level with Athletic Bilbao, Real Valladolid, Barcelona and Sporting de Gijon.

Jose Gallego, another left-winger, signed for First Division Brentford in 1947 and made six League appearances in two seasons before briefer spells at Southampton and Colchester United. He didn't manage a goal.

Players have gone in the opposite direction, from England to Spain, at least since the late Laurie Cunningham joined Real Madrid from West Bromwich Albion for a £995,000 fee in 1979. In the next few years Peter Barnes went to Real Betis from Leeds United and Kevin Richardson signed for Real Sociedad from Aston Villa.

More recently Steve McManaman was a Champions League winner with Real and David Beckham, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate becoming subsequent galacticos. Stan Collymore, another England cap, had a less high-profile spell at Oviedo.

Emilio Aldecoa certainly blazed quite a trail.