An emotional Javier Artero announced his early retirement from football at a press conference at Dens Park today. His battle against Multiple Sclerosis, a muscle wasting disease, had been a brave one. And it still goes on. Harry’s form of MS is of a milder strain, but it has proved enough to prevent his being able to reach the fitness levels necessary to play first team football.
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Happily he is not leaving his Dark Blue family and has been given the post of International Scout on a full time basis. This ensures his financial security and keeps him involved in the game he loves. More importantly, it keeps him tied to the team he loves. All Dundee fans will welcome this move, though gutted at the loss of a player who when fully fit was capable of terrorising defences with speed and guile down the right flank.
Let’s take some time to look back at Javier’s 2.5 seasons at Dens Park. It has to be said that he wasn’t always the darling of the Dundee fans. He took stick when his form fell below the expectations of the so called "faithful", the guys who pick on every little fault and every players suffering from any form loss.
I felt his best times were the latter stages of Jocky Scott’s last few months as Manager when he looked a class apart from the rest of the team. Season 2000/2001 under Ivano Bonetti his form fluctuated from the heights of brilliance to the very depths of mediocrity.
What we didn’t realise then was he had M.S. a disease that creeps up unexpectedly, is often very slow to take hold, but would have troubled him for some time before being diagnosed. By the beginning of the following season he was hospitalised and the dreaded diagnosis confirmed.
A comeback late in 2001 clearly showed he wasn’t the same player he had been, though we all prayed and hoped for a full recovery, such as Brian Irvine had made. It wasn’t to be and when I heard he had a muscular injury at the start of this season I feared the worst, and alas they were confirmed by his decision today.
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Javier Artero entered the world in Madrid on the 16th April 1975, and began his career with the team he’d supported all his life, Real Madrid. He remained there for 10 years, playing in the B team, and learned his trade well. He said of his time at Real:-
``It was fantastic to be at Real as a boy and as a young man. In 10 years with the club I learned how to play-but I also learned how football can be cruel.
``While Raul and other contemporaries of mine through the youth levels stepped up to become stars in the first team the closest I got was a single appearance in a friendly match in Holland at the age of 19.
``As someone who came from a family of Real fanatics, it hurt me to come so close and fail but I knew that if I wanted to play for a clubs top team it would have to be elsewhere.
``Malaga, Badajoz, San Lorenzo in Argentina, and now Dundee have all given me the opportunity which Real, with the immense pressure they have to succeed, could not and I know I was right to leave.
``The first three were all good experiences for me, with San Lorenzo particularly interesting, but never have I looked forward so much to the start of a new season.'' He said that after signing for Dundee for a fee of £300,000 from San Lorenzo at the start of the 2000/2001, the year of Ivano in dark blue historical terms.
He had arrived on loan from that club with Stevie Archibald being instrumental in bringing Javier, Jose Mesas Puerta and Francisco Luna to Dens, also on loan deals until the end of that season.
Artero and Luna won the hearts of the fans with some sterling displays that took us away from the relegation dogfight we had been in until their arrival. The fact Peter Marr and not Scott has been at the centre of the transfers had raised some eyebrows at the time but Jocky soon realised the talents the pair possessed and they became regulars in the first team.
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On the 18th April, 2000, Dundee were guaranteed survival in the SPL with a great 1-0 win away to Aberdeen. In the 3rd minute of injury time Javier Artero crashed home a glorious goal from 20 yards out , giving his side their 8th away win of the season.
In May of that year a 3-0 win against Dundee United at Dens, with Javier Artero voted the man of the match with some amazing raids down the right flank which totally destroyed any defensive strategy United had planned.
He was signed on a 3 year contract for £300,000 in late May, 2000, and it was then a club record signing. This would tie him to Dundee until 2003m and the popular 26 year old was looking forward to a glittering career at Dens Park. San Lorenzo had demanded half a million but relented and Javier was a Dee.
``For me and my family this is wonderful news", said
Artero. "In the eight months I spent in Argentina I did not see my parents or my brother Miguel at all because it was a 14-hour flight from Spain. But Dundee is only three hours away and already in the time I have been there my mother has spent a fortnight with me in Scotland-and I know Miguel will come to watch me playing next season.``I am going to enjoy the next month before pre-season training starts and then come back and have a very good season. "
The Courier at the time said:
" JAVIER
ARTERO, occasional journalist, hobbyist writer of childrens stories and full-time Dundee footballer, cannot wait to find out what the next chapter of an already eventful life holds in store for him."A powerful and seemingly effortless runner, he pounded up and down the right flank in the 45 minutes he played of Sunday nights 5-0 trouncing of Polisportiva San Giuseppe, linking well with Georgi Nemsadze, Patrizio Billio and Bonetti himself in an all-continental midfield.
"It was a sight which would have been familiar to supporters who saw the Spaniard turn in a storming performance in the Dark Blues 3-0 victory over United in the final derby of last season and one which they are likely to become accustomed to in the weeks and months ahead.
"And, after suffering the agony of just failing to get into the Real Madrid first team after 10 years learning his trade at the awe-inspiring Bernabeu Stadium, that is a prospect which fires him with enthusiasm for the new campaign. ‘I am very excited about what lies ahead,' said
Artero. "The season began superbly for Javier, with a great 2-0 win over Motherwell away despite being down to 10 men. His wonderful solo goal will never be forgotten by anyone who witnessed it.
He said at the time: "The coaches here say that I am a great runner but it is not new to me. I have always found it almost as easy to run as it is to walk-the only problem is to make sure you do the right thing with the ball while you are running.''
In March, 2001, he robbed Gary Bollan, stepped into the box and scored a delightful winner against St Johnstone in a match we had trailed 2-1. In June he gave up his honeymoon to return unexpectedly to play in the Intertoto Cup.
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Then came August, 2001 and news began to filter through of Harry’s illness. Hospitalised in Ninewells, then back home in Spain. When the news finally came it was a sore blow to all Dundee fans.
But no one was prepared for the deluge of letters and get well cards, (even Jim McLean himself personally handing one in to Dens). And the power of the Internet to show love and a caring attitude was seen in all it’s glory with fans of teams from all over the UK sending emails to Dundee sites. They were most moving, coming from all age groups, and none more so than from our rivals across the road.
Javier’s response was equally moving. In September, 2001 he replied to all who had wished him well.
``It is hard to write a letter like this-a letter to include everyone, saying all the things I must say. I will try anyway.
``As you all know, I have been recovering in Spain for a month now and, to be honest, it feels like a year. I have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. But the prognosis is very good and I am feeling much better, so I will hopefully be back in Dundee very soon.
``It has been 18 months since I arrived at Dundee Football Club and ever since then I have felt as if I was part of a big family.
``Just a month ago, life has put Debora and me in a difficult situation and it is in these situations when you can see how people really are. I will never be grateful enough to every supporter, for every e-mail and every card I have received.
``You have all helped me to find out how fortunate I am.
``All this support is an incentive to me to make sure I return to Dundee as soon as possible.
`I feel very proud of belonging to Dundee Football Club and I have felt very protected during this uncertain time. I will always have Dundee Football Club and the City of Discovery in my heart. "
Harry was back in training by October, 2001, amazing doctors with his will to return to the game he loved so much.
In an emotional return in November, 2001 he played a full game against Hearts at Tynecaste. We lost 2-0 but Javier had looked alright and it was hoped he’d soon be back at his best.
Then onto August and the news that his brave fight to return as a player was over. Finding it impossible to reach the fitness levels required for him to play in the SPL Javier announced his retirement. Hopefully, though, he’ll be around for quite some time yet in his new role as International Scout for the club.
In May this year the JMB supporters club gave Harry Artero the most amazing tribute by awarding him and his wife Debora tickets for the European Cup Final at Hampden. He hadn’t been able to get tickets for the game and had resigned himself to watching the match on TV. The award of tickets worth up to £2,000 on the black market left the man speechless.
This editor met the man only once. A game at Lochee United’s ground recently, an unfit Javier was subbied and looked very, very tired. I applauded him and called out his name. Half an hour later when going back to the car park across the road I was amazed to find Harry approaching me to say "thank you."
A trained journalist, amateur writer of children’s stories, an excellent footballer in his own right until cruel fate intervened. There’s lots he can still do in life. But most important of all, a fine example of a decent human being.
Javier Artero, I salute you and wish you well, and for once I don’t object to being called a spokesman for all Dundee fans both here at home and throughout the world.