ESPN FC's Madrid-based La Liga expert, Dermot Corrigan, runs the rule over some of the former Spanish Primera Division players who have opted to head Down Under and try their luck in the Australian A-League...
Diego Castro, Perth Glory
Attacking midfielder Diego Castro is probably the best known of the former La Liga stars heading to play in the A-League this season. The Galician, son of much-travelled coach Fernando Castro, has been a fixture in the Spanish top flight for almost a decade, playing regularly for Malaga, Sporting Gijon and Getafe.
A small, clever playmaker, Castro is also an expert penalty taker who scores his fair share goals -- averaging seven strikes a season from midfield over the last five top flight seasons. A right-footer, he often played on the left of a line of three behind the centre-forward in the 4-2-3-1 shape favoured by many La Liga clubs.
Now 33, and a veteran of over 500 Spanish league games, Castro was out of contract last summer. He could for sure have found another La Liga club, but has instead opted for a new adventure with the Glory.
Andreu Guerao Mayoral, Western Sydney Wanderers
Andreu Guerao Mayoral, known in football as Andreu, is a Barcelona-born midfielder who came through the Catalan club's La Masia academy and has since had a wandering career through the Spanish, Polish and Georgian leagues.
Andreu, 32, played on youth teams with such future stars as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. Without making a senior appearance at Barca, he moved on to Malaga, Sporting Gijon, Polonia Warsaw, Auckland City, Dinamo Tbilisi and Lechia Gdansk, before settling at Racing Santander where he was a regular over the last three seasons.
Dimas Delgado, Western Sydney Wanderers
Dimas Delgado is another La Masia graduate who, alongside future stars such as Pedro Rodriguez and Sergio Busquets, was a key part of the Barcelona B side coached to promotion by Pep Guardiola in 2007-08.
That summer Dimas moved to Numancia, where in his first game his new team shocked Guardiola's Barca 1-0 on the opening day of the season (although Dimas himself was an unused sub that day).
Numancia were relegated that year -- but right-footed defensive midfielder Dimas settled well and has played regularly in the Segunda Division each season since, including seasons at Cartagena and Recreativo de Huelva.
Alberto Aguilar, Western Sydney Wanderers
Cordoba-born Alberto Aguilar is an experienced and versatile defender or holding midfielder who came through at Malaga, made his La Liga debut at Getafe and established himself as a Segunda regular at Albacete, Cordoba and Ponferradina over recent seasons.
A set-piece expert, 30-year-old Alberto has regularly chipped in with a few goals each year for his various clubs.
Federico Piovaccari, Western Sydney Wanderers
Italian centre-forward Federico Piovaccari is another well-travelled player who has been on the books of clubs including Italian outfits Pro Patria, Inter Milan, San Marino, Triestina, Treviso, Ravenna, Cittadella, Sampdoria, Brescia and Novara -- often scoring goals but never staying in one place for long. He also spent the 2013-14 season on loan at Steaua Bucharest, where he won a Romanian league title medal.
Piovaccari, 31, spent last season on loan at Eibar -- where he impressed with his bustling physical style and ability to hold the ball up as well as snaffling six goals in just 16 La Liga appearances.
Guillermo Amor, Adelaide United manager
Of all the Spaniards currently working in Australia, Guillermo Amor is certainly the biggest name, and the one being watched most closely from back home.
Benidorm-born Amor came through the ranks at Barcelona -- and quickly entered into the Blaugrana record books when replacing Argentina legend Diego Maradona in the inauguration game for the club's 'Miniestadi' B-team ground in 1982.
Amor was soon making history on his own right, as a key midfielder in the 'Dream Team' which won Barca's first Champions League trophy in 1992, under the guidance of coach Johan Cruyff. He played over 400 games in a decade as a first team regular, also winning five La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys and two UEFA Cup Winners Cup medals, before ending his playing career at Fiorentina, Villarreal and small Scottish club Livingstone.
There was also international recognition -- with 11 goals in 39 caps for Spain, and appearances at Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup.
After retirement, Amor returned to the Camp Nou, working first as a youth coach, technical director then youth system head, until he left the club in an internal reshuffle in summer 2014. In his first head-coach job at age 47, his Adelaide United teams are likely to play a similar possession-based style to his former teammates Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Laurent Blanc, and it would be no surprise if success in the A League leads to interest from La Liga clubs in future.