Pablo Álvarez (footballer, born 1980)
Spanish footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pablo Álvarez Núñez (born 14 May 1980) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder.
|
Álvarez in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pablo Álvarez Núñez | ||
| Date of birth | 14 May 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Oviedo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1998 | Lugo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2001 | Sporting Gijón B | 52 | (6) |
| 2001–2006 | Sporting Gijón | 161 | (25) |
| 2006–2012 | Deportivo La Coruña | 85 | (5) |
| 2008 | → Racing Santander (loan) | 18 | (1) |
| 2012–2014 | Lugo | 47 | (4) |
| 2014 | Langreo | 12 | (0) |
| 2015 | New York City | 8 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Wilmington Hammerheads (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2016 | Langreo | 5 | (2) |
| 2016–2018 | Llanera | 20 | (10) |
| Total | 411 | (53) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2008 | Galicia | 3 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Born in Oviedo, Asturias, Álvarez started his professional career at neighbouring Sporting de Gijón, making his first-team debut on 19 May 2001 in a 1–2 home defeat against Real Betis in the Segunda División[1] and going on to appear in 168 games in all competitions.[2] At Gijón, he earned the nickname Tibu (diminutive of Tiburón, shark in Spanish) for his goal celebrations, in which he pretended to have a shark's fin in his head.[3]
Álvarez signed for Deportivo de La Coruña on a free transfer in August 2006. On 3 February 2007, he played his first league match for Depor, making his La Liga debut against Mallorca aged 26.[4] He had suffered a serious leg injury while still at the service of Sporting in April 2006,[5] and was eventually loaned to Racing Santander in December of the following year until the end of the season.[6]
Having been relatively used in a Cantabria side that achieved a first-ever qualification for the UEFA Cup – netting in a 2–0 away victory over Osasuna on 13 January 2008[7]– Álvarez returned to Galicia and Deportivo. Scarcely played during 2008–09, he profited from a rare start to score the game's only goal at Athletic Bilbao, on 18 April 2009;[8] he made his debut in European competition on 18 February that year, featuring the full 90 minutes of a 3–0 away loss against AaB in the UEFA Cup,[9] and was sent off in the second leg in a 6–1 aggregate scoreline.[10]
In summer 2012, aged 32, Álvarez joined second-division Lugo on a two-year contract, returning to the club after playing youth football there for nearly a decade.[11] On 2 September 2014, he signed with Langreo in the third tier;[12] however, only six months later, he moved abroad for the first time in his career, agreeing to a deal with New York City following a trial period.[13]
International career
Álvarez participated in the resurrection of the unofficial Galician national team in December 2005, playing their first game after 75 years against Uruguay.[14]
Honours
Deportivo