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(s) | 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 edit
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 second division[1] and going on to appear in 168 games across all competitions. 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.[2]
Álvarez also participated in the resurrection of the unofficial Galician national team in December 2005, playing their first game after 75 years against Uruguay.[3] He signed for Deportivo de La Coruña on a Bosman transfer in August 2006.
On 3 February 2007, Álvarez played his first league match for Depor,[4] making his La Liga debut against RCD Mallorca at the age of nearly 27. He had suffered a serious leg injury while still at the service of Sporting, in April 2006,[5] and was eventually loaned to Racing de Santander in December of the following year until the end of the season.[6]
After being relatively used in a Cantabria side that achieved a first-ever qualification to the UEFA Cup – netting in a 2–0 away victory over CA Osasuna on 13 January 2008[7]– Álvarez returned to Galicia and Deportivo. Scarcely used 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 of that year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–3 away loss against AaB Fodbold for the UEFA Cup,[9] and was sent off in the second leg in an eventual 1–6 aggregate score.[10]
In the summer of 2012, aged 32, Álvarez joined CD Lugo of the second level on a two-year deal, returning to the club after playing youth football there for nearly a decade.[11] On 2 September 2014, he signed with UP Langreo in the third tier;[12] however, after only six months, he moved abroad for the first time in his career, agreeing to a deal at New York City FC on 6 March 2015 after a trial period.[13]
Honours edit
Deportivo
References edit
- ^ Díaz, Mario (20 May 2001). "El Betis gana con comodidad" [Betis win easily]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Pichel, Marcos (6 February 2013). "El "tiburón", corazón rojiblanco" [The "shark", red-and-white heart]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ Bernardo, Julio (30 December 2005). "Apoteosis en San Lázaro" [Apotheosis at San Lázaro]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "El Depor hace daño de penalti" [Depor hurt from the penalty spot]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 3 February 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Gómez, Pablo (23 April 2006). "Pablo Álvarez se rompe la pierna y estará ocho meses de baja" [Pablo Álvarez breaks leg and will miss eight months]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ "Pablo Álvarez ya entrenó con el Racing" [Pablo Álvarez already trained with Racing]. El Diario Montañés (in Spanish). 28 December 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ "Osasuna 0–2 Racing Santander". ESPN Soccernet. 13 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ "Athletic Bilbao 0–1 Deportivo La Coruña". ESPN Soccernet. 18 April 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Aldunate, Ramiro (18 February 2009). "El Deportivo se inmola" [Deportivo set themselves on fire]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ "Ni rastro de la remontada" [Not a trace of a comeback]. Marca (in Spanish). 26 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Pichel, Marcos (18 July 2012). "Pablo Álvarez firma dos cursos por el Lugo" [Pablo Álvarez signs for two campaigns with Lugo]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Martínez, G.; Menor, Santy (2 September 2014). "Pablo Álvarez jugará en el Langreo, el Marino ficha a Pastor y el Avilés, a Berna" [Pablo Álvarez will play in Langreo, Marino sign Pastor and Avilés, Berna]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ^ "New York City FC sign veteran midfielder Pablo Alvarez". New York City. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
External links edit
- Deportivo official profile (in Spanish)
- Pablo Álvarez at BDFutbol
- Pablo Álvarez at Futbolme (in Spanish)
- Pablo Álvarez at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
- Pablo Álvarez at Soccerway