Miguel XEKA

Native of Portugal, Miguel Angelo da Silva Rocha (Nickname: Xeka) is a box-to-box midfielder, who mainly plays in a central midfield role. He was developed by FC Paços de Ferreira from the tender age of 9, and he joined the professional ranks with Brage aged 19, having played in the youth teams with Gondomar FC, and Valencia in Spain. He would spend three seasons playing in the Portuguese Second Division, firstly with Braga's Reserves, then with SC Covilha following a two-season-long loan spell. As of 2016, he would get his first taste of the Primeira Liga with Braga, and he played ten matches for them. However, he was frustrated by the lack of gametime, and he looked for a way out in the Winter transfer window in 2017, eventually being loaned out to Lille. After several good performances for Lille in Ligue 1, they took up the buyout clause in June 2017 to sign him on a permanent deal. He would start the following season in the starting line up with the "Dogues", but would soon see himself loaned out to Dijon FCO until the end of the 2017/2018 season, despite Lille's attempt to bring him back during the course of the campaign. He eventually returned for the 2018/2019 season. Technically adept, with excellent vision and passing capability, he would spend four years as first-choice in the starting line-up for Lille, helping his team to the Ligue 1 Championship title in 2021. In April 2022, he suffered a serious ankle ligament injury, and was sidelined for a considerable period of time. Out of contract in July 2022, he found himself without a club for the 2022/2023 season. An opening presented itself with the long-term injury to Baptiste Santamaria in September 2022, and Xeka signed for Rennes as a free-agent as cover for the Rennes midfielder. He signed a two-year contract for the club on 21st September 2022. In the 2022/2023 season, he would make a total of 9 appearances, 7 of which were in the starting line-up. He would suffer another injury in January 2023, and would not resurface in the team. He was released from the remaining year of his contract on 9th August 2023.