Historical profile
Career overview
José Manuel Velásquez Castillo (born 4 June 1952 in Lima) is a Peruvian former footballer who played as a midfielder. Nicknamed "El Patrón", he stood out for his elegance, presence, courage and technical play, being recognized as one of the players with the most personality that Peruvian football has given and the best defensive midfielder in the history of his country. He was nominated for the Global Ballon d'Or by FIFA in 1977. "El Patrón" was probably the best midfielder defensive player in South America between the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was a containment midfielder with an enormous defensive display, great passing game and strong personality that combined his dominant physical presence with a very technical and elegant game. He formed with Alianza Lima debuting in 1971 at the age of 17 as a central defender, although he was soon positioned in the midfield and became one of t