Álex Fernández
 Álex with Spain U18 in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alejandro Fernández Iglesias | ||
| Date of birth | 15 October 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Reading (on loan from Espanyol) | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2003 | AD Complutense | ||
| 2003–2005 | Alcalá | ||
| 2005–2010 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2013 | Real Madrid B | 99 | (6) |
| 2011 | Real Madrid | 1 | (0) |
| 2013– | Espanyol | 29 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Rijeka (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2015– | → Reading (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2008–2009 | Spain U17 | 14 | (2) |
| 2010 | Spain U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Spain U19 | 10 | (0) |
| 2011 | Spain U20 | 1 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 January 2016. | |||
Alejandro Fernández Iglesias (born 15 October 1992), commonly known as Álex, is a Spanish footballer who plays for English club Reading on loan from RCD Espanyol as a central midfielder.
Club career
Real Madrid
Born in Madrid, Álex joined Real Madrid's youth system at not yet 13, arriving from neighbouring RSD Alcalá. In 2010 he started appearing with Real Madrid Castilla in Segunda División B and, in July of that year, he was called by first-team coach José Mourinho to a preseason tour in the United States;[1] he made his unofficial debut on 5 August in a friendly match against Club América (3–2 win), with his brother Nacho also making his first appearance that day.[2]
Álex made his league debut with the B-team on 29 August 2010, playing 87 minutes in a 3–2 home win against Coruxo FC.[3] On 3 October he scored his first goal, contributing to a 3–0 home success over AD Cerro de Reyes,[4] and finished his first season with 30 games and two goals as the team fell short in the promotion playoffs.
On 6 March 2011 Álex made his La Liga debut, playing the last minute of the 3–1 win at Racing de Santander.[5] He contributed with 35 appearances in the 2011–12 campaign – playoffs included – with Castilla returning to the second level after five years.
Espanyol
Álex left Real Madrid in August 2013, by mutual consent. He signed shortly after with RCD Espanyol in the top level,[6][7] appearing in 30 competitive games in his first year but starting in only five.
On 28 January 2015, Espanyol loaned Álex to HNK Rijeka until the end of the season.[8] On 18 August, in the same predicament, he joined Championship side Reading with a view to a permanent move at the end of the campaign.[9] He scored his first goal for the latter club on 19 January 2016, in a 5–2 home triumph over Huddersfield Town for the FA Cup.[10]
Personal life
Álex's older brother, José Ignacio, is also a footballer. A defender, he too graduated from Real Madrid's academy.[11]
Club statistics
- As of match played 19 January 2016[12]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid Castilla | 2010–11 | Segunda División B | 32 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 32 | 2 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 35 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 35 | 1 | ||||||
| 2012–13 | Segunda División | 32 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 32 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 99 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 99 | 6 | ||
| Real Madrid | 2010–11 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||
| Espanyol | 2013–14 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - | - | 30 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 7 | 0 | |||||
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 37 | 0 | ||
| Rijeka (loan) | 2014–15 | Prva HNL | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| Reading (loan) | 2015–16 | Championship | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 146 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159 | 9 | ||
Honours
Club
- Real Madrid Castilla
Country
- Spain U19
Individual
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: Player of the Tournament 2011
References
- ↑ At the gates of the first team; Real Madrid's official website, 30 July 2010
- ↑ The Whites win first preseason match; Real Madrid's official website, 5 August 2010
- ↑ 3–2: The youth team takes the first three points at stake; Real Madrid's official website, 29 August 2010
- ↑ RM Castilla 3–0 Cerro Reyes; Real Madrid's official website, 3 October 2010
- ↑ Benzema double keeps Real hopes alive; ESPN Soccernet, 6 March 2011
- ↑ Real Madrid y Espanyol acuerdan el traspaso de Álex Fernández (Real Madrid and Espanyol agree Álex Fernández transfer); Goal.com, 23 August 2013 (Spanish)
- ↑ Espanyol ficha a Alex Fernández, procedente del Real Madrid Castilla (Espanyol signs Alex Fernández, from Real Madrid Castilla); Goal.com, 28 August 2013 (Spanish)
- ↑ Principi d'acord amb el HNK Rijeka per a la cessió d'Álex (Agreement in principle with HNK Rijeka for the loan of Alex); Espanyol's official website, 28 January 2015 (Catalan)
- ↑ "Alex Fernandez joins Royals on loan from Espanyol". Reading's official website. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- ↑ "Reading 5–2 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ Nacho y Álex, sangre blanca en la familia Fernández (Nacho and Álex, white blood in the Fernández family); Real Madrid's official website, 3 May 2010 (Spanish)
- ↑ "Álex". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
External links
- Álex Fernández profile at BDFutbol
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