EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC announced on Tuesday it had re-signed veteran Spanish defender Yuma, pending league and federation approval. The club’s captain is set to continue bringing his veteran presence and leadership both on the pitch and in the locker room.

Yuma signed with El Paso Locomotive FC ahead of the club’s inaugural 2019 season and has since established himself as the anchor in the center back position in the Locomotive FC backline. A native of Madrid, the 36-year-old has brought with him a level of leadership that makes him a shining example both on the pitch and in the locker room.

Over the course of the first three years with El Paso Locomotive FC, Yuma has helped make the Locomotive FC defense one of the best in the league, helping lead the club to 27 clean sheets in over his 68 appearances in all competitions. Individually, he has recorded 103 clearances, 70 interceptions and made 316 recoveries while posting a passing accuracy rate of 91.6 percent.

Yuma’s 2,887 completed passes for El Paso rank second only in the club’s first three seasons to fellow returnee Richie Ryan, with the veteran duo sitting as the top two players in the Championship in passes completed over the past three regular seasons. Yuma is the 12th player from the 2021 USL Championship season to mark a return for the upcoming season, bolstering the defensive line that conceded the second-fewest goals in the Championship’s regular season in the past campaign.