Senna is one of only three players still at Villarreal who were part of their amazing run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2006. More than anyone else, he best represents Villarreal's method of success: buying in cheap South Americans and letting Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini bring out the best in them. "We couldn't sign the Spain centre-forward but we can sign the Argentine one, as he is cheaper," said president Fernando Roig of the nine South Americans in the current squad.

On Tuesday, Celtic face Villarreal in their Champions League Matchday Two encounter, with the Spanish side going into this weekend's games joint-top of La Liga after winning three of their first four matches.

The club owes its rise to Roig, who bought a controlling share in 1997, when Villarreal were struggling at the foot of the second division, had a 3,500-capacity stadium and huge debts. Roig showed his commitment to the future by buying an old orange grove and spending ?40m (£31.7m) on turning it into a youth academy which now has as many under-16 internationals as Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The South American transfer policy is key to the team's success. Diego Forlan joined from Manchester United, and scored 54 goals in 106 appearances; goalkeeper Diego Lopez, whom Fabio Capello considers a better No.1 than Iker Casillas, signed last year from Real Madrid; Giuseppe Rossi also joined from United and is a top goalscorer in the making, while Riquelme was one of the world's top players until Villarreal dropped him then sacked him for demanding more holidays than his team-mates. The club's stance in that affair told its own story: no player is bigger than this team. That might be why youth product Santi Cazorla, also a Euro 2008 winner, turned down a bid from Real Madrid during the summer.

Senna's unfussy style fits perfectly in this team ethic, but don't assume he has curbed all his natural Brazilian skills. Last season, he scored from inside his own half against Real Betis, and he does take on a slightly more attacking role in Pellegrini's 4-4-2 system. "A lot of players like the bicycle kicks and the fancy stuff," said Senna. "I prefer quick touches, good passes and shooting when I get the chance. The most difficult thing in football is keeping it simple, which is what I try to do."

But after playing 52 games for Villarreal and Spain last season, Pellegrini is aware that he doesn't want Senna to burn out, which is why he started the Matchday One draw at Manchester United on the bench. "A player always wants to be involved in a game like that. I had played three games in a row and the players who are in better shape are the ones who have got to play," Senna explained. "I'm sure I'm going to have lots of minutes on the pitch in the Champions League this season. I like to play when I'm 100% and not give half measures."

Senna may have been one of only two Spanish players over the age of 30 at Euro 2008, but at Villarreal he's not the only experienced player in the team. Edmilson, Javi Venta, Joan Capdevila, Ariel Ibagaza and Pascal Cygan are all over 30, as is Robert Pires, who sat out most of his first season in Spain with a knee injury, but was sensational last year to help the team forget the departure of Riquelme.

"Pellegrini has a clear idea of how he wants us to play football," said Pires. "We know that in South America they like to play the ball around with short passes and lots of movement, and you can see that influence when watching us play. We are playing good football at the moment and everyone in the squad is enjoying it."

But how can the steady improvement under Pellegrini continue? The team reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2004, ended third place in 2005, played the Champions League semi-final in 2006, and were La Liga runners-up last season. Only the Spanish title itself or a place in May's Champions League final in Rome will count as progression, but it remains to be seen how Villarreal play when they are under pressure. After all, they only reached the top flight for the first time in 1998, and Vila-Real is the second smallest town to have a side reaching the European semi-finals (after Monte Carlo).

Pellegrini admits that "we prepare the team to peak at end of season, and that's why we drop players now". He has the blend that he wants: "We have young and experienced, and a mix of Latin and European. That makes a good team. I speak to the players a lot, and I know the personality of each of them. That's how we get a collective spirit, that's how I work."

The coach is not too excited about topping the league table at the moment. "The important thing now is to maintain a winning consistency," he added, and with striker Nihat expected to return this week from the injury that ended his Euro 2008 campaign with Turkey, and Rossi not far behind, this Villarreal team should get better as the season continues. It's a pity Celtic have to play them again on Matchday Six.

BEN LYTTLETON