Former York United Midfielder Emilio Estevez Lands In Spanish Fourth Tier

Former York United midfielder Emilio Estevez has signed for Spanish fourth division side Ourense CF following his quiet release from Eredivisie side Ado Den Haag.

The top flight Dutch club had purchased Estevez for an undisclosed fee last year, though he never ultimately broke into the side’s first team.

ADO Den Haag announced the 22-year-old’s departure last Friday, with Ourense CF quickly scooping up the youngster on Tuesday as it approaches the tail end of its 2020-2021 campaign. With seven games left to go in the Tercera Division Group 1, the club currently finds itself one spot below a playoff position for promotion into the third division.

That being said, The Spanish football pyramid will shift every league below the second division down a level later on this year: the Tercera Division will drop down to become the fifth division in Spain after this season concludes, with the current third tier (the Segunda Division B) becoming the fourth level under a new third division set to be called the Primera Division RFEF.

Estevez is one of a select few players who earned professional contracts through the Canadian Premier League’s Got Game Open Trials in 2018, with York United (then York9 FC) offering the Toronto-born youngster his first professional contract after he impressed head coach Jim Brennan. He made 18 appearances for The Nine Stripes in the inaugural CPL season, scoring his only professional goal against the Halifax Wanderers.

Often used as an impact substitute at the Canadian Premier League level, Estevez broke through with the Taiwanese national team and turned heads with his flashy footwork in a World Cup Qualifier against Australia. While he re-signed with York9 FC shortly after the 2019 CPL season concluded, ADO Den Haag purchased the player for an undisclosed fee some five months later.

In the Netherlands, Estevez never broke into the ADO Den Haag senior squad, with the now-22-year-old departing after collecting only a handful of minutes for the U-21 side.

ADO Den Haag has been on a signing blitz since the calendar year turned to 2020, bringing in no less than 27 players since that time. There’s been plenty of player movement in the last week alone, with the club bringing in former Columbus Crew man Younnes Mokhtar and Lazio loanee Bobby Adekanye, while 2020 additions Andrei Ratiu and Nikos Karelis departed alongside Estevez.

Other Canadian Premier League exports have also had difficulties breaking out in Europe, with 2019 CPL MVP Tristan Borges having not suited up for Belgian side Oud-Heverlee Leuven in nearly a year. Tyler Attardo signed on with Chilean team Fernandez Vial ahead of an expected European move, but is now in the midst of a two-year loan with Cypriot second division side Xylotymbou.

The length or financial details regarding Emilio’s contract with Ourense CF were not disclosed by the club.