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Cypriot first for Okkas and Celta

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Cyprus captain Yiannis Okkas has become the first player from the island to move to Spain after the striker signed a one-year contract with RC Celta de Vigo.

Cyprus captain Yiannis Okkas has become the first player from the island to move to Spain after the striker signed a one-year deal with second division side RC Celta de Vigo.

'Great ambition'
The 30-year-old, who has scored 16 times in 75 international appearances, said: "It has been a difficult summer for me but what matters is that everything has worked out fine. Five teams in Cyprus showed an interest in me but I told them I wasn't interested because I wanted to sign for a foreign club. Celta are a great team – the fact they are coached by Hristo Stoichkov says a lot about them. The club have great ambition and I hope Celta can achieve their target and return to the Primera División."

Cup final feat
Okkas played for Nea Salamis FC and Anorthosis Famagusta FC in his homeland before transferring to Greece, where he famously scored twice in the 2000 final as PAOK FC defeated AEK Athens FC to win the Greek Cup. He then had spells with AEK and Olympiacos CFP, where he partnered fellow Cypriot international Michalis Konstantinou. Meanwhile, his Cyprus team-mate Konstantinos Charalampidis has joined German 2. Bundesliga side FC Carl Zeiss Jena after being released by Panathinaikos FC.