Adrián Colunga
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adrián Colunga Pérez | ||
| Date of birth | 17 November 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Oviedo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Mallorca | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Covadonga | |||
| Sporting Gijón | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2006 | Sporting B | 28 | (9) |
| 2002 | → Turón (loan) | 8 | (8) |
| 2003 | → Marino (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | → Ceares (loan) | 30 | (14) |
| 2005–2006 | → Marino (loan) | 14 | (2) |
| 2006 | Soledad | 16 | (9) |
| 2006–2007 | Pájara Playas | 37 | (10) |
| 2007–2008 | Las Palmas | 34 | (13) |
| 2008–2010 | Recreativo | 46 | (11) |
| 2010 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 16 | (7) |
| 2010–2014 | Getafe | 82 | (17) |
| 2012 | → Sporting Gijón (loan) | 17 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 17 | (3) |
| 2015 | → Granada (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2016– | Mallorca | 4 | (2) |
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 April 2016. | |||
Adrián Colunga Pérez (born 17 November 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for RCD Mallorca as a striker.
Football career
Colunga was born in Oviedo, Asturias. After unsuccessfully emerging through Sporting de Gijón's youth system he made his professional debuts on loan, in the third division with Marino de Luanco – also in his native region – going on to serve several others in the third and fourth levels while also appearing in the 2004–05 season for Sporting's B-team.
In January 2006 Colunga was definitely released by Gijón and, after a spell in the fourth division and another in the third, joined UD Las Palmas in the second tier. He scored 13 league goals (second-best in the team) in the 2007–08 campaign for a Canary Islands' side that was threatened with relegation until the last month of competition.
Colunga was then bought by Recreativo de Huelva in La Liga, in a four-year contract worth €2.7 million.[1] In his debut for the team, on 31 August 2008, he netted the game's only goal in an away win against Andalusia neighbours Real Betis.[2]
Alternating with starts and games from the bench during his first year, Colunga entered the club's history when he scored a penalty kick in a 1–4 loss at Deportivo de La Coruña on 21 December, his fourth consecutive game achieving the feat.[3] Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague compared the player, in his weekly report of first division encounters, to Valencia CF's David Villa;[4] despite a first fruitful year individually, Recre ranked last.
On 23 January 2010, after experiencing personal problems in the new season at Recreativo, which included a confrontation with club fans,[5] Colunga was loaned to Real Zaragoza in the top flight, until June.[6] He scored on his debut eight days later, a 3–1 win at CD Tenerife,[7] and finished the campaign as the club's top scorer in only four months of play, with the Aragonese finally escaping relegation.
On 5 August 2010 Colunga was sold to Getafe CF, as Kepa Blanco moved in the opposite direction.[8] He was loaned to Sporting de Gijón in January 2012, netting three times in 13 starts during his short spell but suffering top flight relegation.
On 25 August 2014, Colunga transferred to English club Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year contract.[9] He scored on his debut the following day, contributing to a 4–2 away victory over Swindon Town in the League Cup;[10] he added a further three in the Championship before the close of the year, with strikes against Bournemouth (2–3 away loss),[11] Norwich City (3–3, away)[12] and Fulham (2–0 win, away).[13]
Following the appointment of Chris Hughton as new manager, Colunga found first-team opportunities difficult and, in the very last day of the 2015 January transfer window, joined Granada CF on a loan deal lasting until the end of the season, with the option of a permanent transfer in June.[14] However, after featuring rarely, he returned to Brighton and eventually had his contract terminated by mutual consent on 7 October.[15]
References
- ↑ Adrián Colunga, segundo fichaje más caro de la historia del 'Recre', llega dispuesto a "no defraudar a nadie" (Adrián Colunga, the second most expensive signing in Recre history, arrives willing to "not let anyone down"); Europa Press, 17 July 2008 (Spanish)
- ↑ Colunga: "Fue el debut soñado" (Colunga: "It was a dream debut"); Huelva Información, 2 September 2008 (Spanish)
- ↑ Deportivo La Coruña 4–1 Recreativo Huelva; ESPN Soccernet, 21 December 2008
- ↑ One to watch; Sky Sports, 16 April 2009
- ↑ Un grupo de aficionados increpa a Colunga y causa daños en su coche (Group of fans insults Colunga and damages his car); Marca, 18 January 2010 (Spanish)
- ↑ Zaragoza sign Colunga as Ayala leaves; ESPN Soccernet, 23 January 2010
- ↑ Gay inspires memorable triumph; ESPN Soccernet, 31 January 2010
- ↑ "Kepa Blanco nuevo delantero del Decano" [Kepa Blanco new Dean forward] (in Spanish). Recreativo Huelva. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ↑ "Adrian Colunga: Brighton & Hove Albion sign Getafe striker". BBC Sport. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ↑ "Swindon 2–4 Brighton". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ↑ "Bournemouth 3–2 Brighton". BBC Sport. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ↑ "Norwich 3–3 Brighton". BBC Sport. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ↑ "Fulham 0–2 Brighton". BBC Sport. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ↑ "Brighton: Adrian Colunga joins La Liga side Granada on loan". BBC Sport. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ↑ "Adrian Colunga: Brighton release Spanish forward". BBC Sport. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
External links
- Adrián Colunga profile at BDFutbol
- Futbolme profile (Spanish)
- Adrián Colunga profile at Soccerway
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