Who is Choulay? The lowdown on the QPR trialist

In their 1-1 draw with Burton on Tuesday night, QPR gave a 30-minute cameo to a former Barcelona winger, now on the books of Stoke City. But who is Choulay and what is his background?

In the beginning
He was born on 13 January 1996 – the same day that Ray Wilkins’ Rangers lost 1-0 at home to Blackburn – in Torreforta, Spain, about 100km down the coast from Barcelona.

His full name is Moha El Ouriachi Choulay, reflecting his Moroccan heritage.

He began his junior career at local side CD La Floresta, before being picked up by Espanyol. In the summer of 2010, aged 14, he switched across the city and joined the giants of Barcelona.

Rising through the ranks
At La Masia, Barca’s famed academy, Choulay was placed into Cadete A, the team for 14- and 15-year-olds, and then graduated to Juvenil B the season after he turned 16.

A year later he was promoted to the Juvenil A side, the club’s top youth team, following in the footsteps of the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and current Chelsea man Pedro.

Youth League triumph
A left-winger with pace, Choulay was part of the Barcelona squad that won the Uefa Youth League in 2013-14. His team-mates included current Barca first-teamer Munir El Haddadi and Adama Traore, now of Aston Villa.

He scored twice in the group stage, against Ajax and Celtic, despite only starting one of the games. He continued to make an impact from the bench, culminating in him setting up the winner in the semi-final against Schalke.

That was enough to earn him a spot in the team for the final, as Barca ran out 3-0 winners against Benfica. He played another four games in the unsuccessful defence of their title the following year.

You and Hughes’ army
His success with the Barca youth team led to him twice being named on the bench for the Barca B team, though he didn’t get on.

Last summer, with his chances at Camp Nou limited, Choulay opted to join Stoke on what was believed to be a four-year deal, linking-up with ex-Barca players Bojan and Marc Muniesa.

However, since then, his only appearance for the Potters came in a 10-minute cameo in a pre-season game. In April, Choulay broke into the first-team squad, as an unused substitute against Swansea and Manchester City, but given the chance QPR are offering him, he may now be seeking another move.

International recognition
In October 2012, before his Youth League exploits, Choulay played four games for Spain’s Under-17s. He scored on his debut in the first of two matches against Slovakia, and followed those up with appearances against Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.

He later made two appearances for Morocco’s Under-23s