...in pre-season draw with Alcala

Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng played his first game for Rayo Vallecano in their 2-2 pre-season friendly draw with Alcala on Saturday.

Manager Paco Jemez in the game played at the Municipal El Val handed the experienced midfielder a starting role.

Boateng lasted the first 45 minutes of the club’s first pre-season friendly having resumed training six days ago.

Manager Paco Jemez used a completely different set of players at the start of the second half of the game that eventually ended in a 2-2 draw.

Boateng, 31, has high hopes of resurrecting his club career, which took a massive dive after he joined English club Fulham at the start of the last European season.

The ex-Getafe man could only manage three first-team appearances for the Cottagers who went down at the end of last season’s English Premiership.