Ulises de la Cruz

His first team were the Ecuadorian Liga Deportivo Universitaria, for whom he started playing in the 1999/2000 season. On June 18, 2001, he moved to Hibernian F.C. for a fee of 700,000 pounds, for whom he made 25 full league appearances, as well as 7 substitute appearances, scoring two goals. He struggled to make the grade at Hibernian but had a good World Cup in Japan 2002 and was picked up by Graham Taylor after he did television work at the 2002 World Cup, an instant signing when Taylor came back to Villa, and Hibernian came back from a tour of Finland.

A struggler in his first season at the club, he flourished in the 2003/04 season after David O'Leary took over, and an injury to Mark Delaney ensured that de la Cruz could start more games than he had previously. New contract talks succeeded for the 2004/05 campaign.