Arsenal fans will love what Santi Cazorla just did as ex-Gunners icon still shines in Spain

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Former Arsenal star Santi Cazorla is still going strong in the twilight of his career as he features in the Spanish second tier.

The midfielder is just days away from turning 40 years old, but he is still playing an important role for his boyhood club Real Oviedo.

Santi Cazorla became a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium, following on from his move to the club in 2012 from Malaga.

In a six-year stint with Arsenal, the Spaniard made 180 appearances across all competitions, scoring and assisting on plenty of occasions.

The Spaniard was a magician and while naturally, time has seen him drift out of the limelight, his return to his boyhood club is creating some wholesome moments.

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Arsenal hero Santi Cazorla scores first goal for Real Oviedo

While many would have retired or moved elsewhere for the money, 39-year-old Cazorla made the switch to his boyhood club Real Oviedo in La Liga 2.

The experienced star initially came through the ranks for Los Azules before he joined Villarreal for as part of their youth team.

After 20 years away from Oviedo, the switch back for Cazorla is a real romantic story and one that isn’t over yet.

Over the weekend, he managed to score his first goal for the club in a 5-1 win over Racing Ferrol, coming as a great moment for him.

Speaking after the game, Cazorla said: “It’s a special moment, a dream I’ve had since a boy.”

It’s a great moment that reflects well on the ex-Arsenal star, who is still going strong at this moment in time.

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Santi Cazorla’s Arsenal career stats

In his time at Arsenal, Cazorla impressed fans and managed to capture their hearts with mesmeric performances on the pitch.

It didn’t always reflect in the stats with plenty of goals and assists, with those small moments of joy in the middle of games often showing more of his ability than pure output.

While his playing days are reaching the twilight, there is still the possibility of a return to the Emirates Stadium, though not in a capacity on the pitch.

Cazorla has outlined his hopes to return to Arsenal in a possible position off the pitch, which may involve a director position.

Whether that will happen, though, is another proposition altogether.