Photo: UDLP
Over the past few days I caught up with former Unión Deportiva Las Palmas central defender Ildefons Lima. He played for the club for one and a half seasons between 2002 and 2004. Ildefons Lima boasts champions league qualifying experience along with an extensive international career for Andorra, for whom he has played for over 130 times.
I spoke briefly to Ildefons Lima about his whole experience playing for UDLP, he spoke about how "each game at Insular was amazing" before it was closed in 2003 and that despite this the "Gran Canaria Stadium without athletics is a great stadium". His favourite game for us being the "last game at Insular vs Elche, 4-1", he had the opportunity to play with many UDLP greats including "Ruben Castro, Momo, Carmelo, Jorge, Angel Lopez".
Talking about the fans and the impact of football in Las Palmas he said "people live football in a different way in Las Palmas, with more passion". This helped to contribute to an enjoyable time in Gran Canaria, "I enjoyed a lot, people, football, weather, Las Palmas is a fantastic place to live" an "amazing place to be".
Unfortunately his time at UDLP was cut short when "in December the club did changes and I leave the club to go to Poli Ejido, in 2A too, was a sad moment but football is all this things"
Ildefons Lima has a lot of belief in the team for the season, which has only just begun, stating how UDLP "have to be in the first positions".
Now, at the age of 42, Ildefons Lima is still playing football and plays for Andorran club, Inter Club d'Escaldes in the Primera Divisió as well as continuing to play internationally for Andorra. He is the third European footballer to have been capped in four different decades.
We wish Ildefons Lima the best of the luck in the future and thank him for talking to us about his time at our club.
