Esteban (footballer)

Esteban

Esteban in action for Almería (2011)
Personal information
Full name	Esteban Andrés Suárez
Date of birth	27 June 1975
Place of birth	Avilés, Spain
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	Oviedo
Number	1
Youth career
	Navarro
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1993–1995	Navarro	46	(0)
1995–1996	Avilés	40	(0)
1996–1997	Oviedo B	40	(0)
1997–2002	Oviedo	182	(0)
2002–2003	Atlético Madrid	23	(0)
2003–2005	Sevilla	58	(0)
2006–2008	Celta	33	(0)
2008–2014	Almería	140	(0)
2014–	Oviedo	72	(0)
National team
1998	Spain U21	1	(0)
2000–2002	Asturias	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 March 2016. † Appearances (goals)

Esteban Andrés Suárez (born 27 June 1975), known simply as Esteban, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Oviedo as a goalkeeper.

He started and finished his extensive senior career, which spanned more than two decades, at Real Oviedo. He appeared in 280 games in La Liga during 13 seasons, also representing in the competition Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, Celta and Almería.

Football career

Early years

Born in Avilés, Asturias, Esteban began his career with hometown's SD Navarro CF in 1993, but soon moved to local giants Real Oviedo after a stint at Real Avilés Industrial. During five seasons with the first team – four of those spent in La Liga – he only missed 12 league games combined, and moved to Atlético Madrid in the 2002 summer as the Colchoneros had just returned to the top flight after a two-year absence,^[1] finishing the campaign as starter after beginning as understudy to Germán Burgos.

Esteban joined fellow top-divisioner Sevilla FC in August 2003.^[2] After two solid seasons with the Andalusians (two sixth league places, as first-choice) he signed for Celta de Vigo,^[3] backing up José Manuel Pinto in the second division side until the latter moved to FC Barcelona, in January 2008.

Almería

In the summer 2008 Esteban joined UD Almería in the top level,^[4] where he initially was second-choice to Diego Alves in his first year. However, profiting from injury to the starter in late March 2009, he was put between the posts, and remained there until the end of the season even when the Brazilian recovered.

In the 2009–10 campaign, Esteban's league output consisted of 30 minutes – the last round notwithstanding^[5]– after Alves was sent off in a 0–3 home defeat against Valencia CF.^[6] At the season's end, however, the 35-year-old renewed his contract for another year.^[7]

Esteban continued as Alves' backup in 2010–11. He was first-choice, however, in Almería's Copa del Rey run, which saw the club reach the competition's semifinals for the first time ever.^[8] In the final stretch of the campaign, as Almería was already relegated and Alves announced his departure to Valencia, he appeared in four matches and conceded eleven goals, including eight in a 1–8 loss at Real Madrid.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Subsequently, at 36, Esteban became Almería's first-choice. He played all 42 league games during the second division season, conceding 43 goals as the club finished seventh.^[13]

Esteban did not miss one single game in the 2013–14 campaign, as the Rojiblancos were again in the main category of Spanish football and managed to stay afloat. On 13 May 2014, he announced he was returning to Oviedo twelve years after leaving the club.^[14]

Honours

Club

Oviedo

• Segunda División B: 2014–15

International

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1998

References

1. Esteban, nuevo jugador del Atlético (Esteban, new player of Atlético); Diario AS, 15 August 2002 (Spanish)
2. Esteban: "A ver si puedo debutar en la selección jugando aquí" (Esteban: "Let's see if i can make the national team playing here"); Diario AS, 8 August 2003 (Spanish)
3. Esteban: "Vengo a ayudar y a ganarme la titularidad" (Esteban "I come to help and to earn myself a starting position"); Diario AS, 7 July 2005 (Spanish)
4. El Almería ficha al portero Esteban Andrés Suárez (Almería signs goalkeeper Esteban Andrés Suárez); Diario de Almería, 4 July 2008 (Spanish)
5. Rodri fires Seviila into raptures; ESPN Soccernet, 15 May 2010
6. Pablo inspires Los Che win; ESPN Soccernet, 25 October 2009
7. El Almería renueva a Esteban y Kalu Uche (Almería renews Esteban and Kalu Uche); Marca, 10 May 2010 (Spanish)
8. El Almería se niega a despertar del sueño (Almería refuses to awake from dream); Marca, 19 January 2011 (Spanish)
9. Almeria suffer relegation; ESPN Soccernet, 7 May 2011
10. Third place dream dying for Villarreal; ESPN Soccernet, 11 May 2011
11. Rare win for Almeria; ESPN Soccernet, 15 May 2011
12. Ronaldo breaks record in rout; ESPN Soccernet, 21 May 2011
13. El Almería ensancha el récord de Esteban y el portero hace una estirada al ascenso (Almería extends Esteban record and the goalkeeper goes one-on-one with promotion); Almería 360, 13 February 2013 (Spanish)
14. "Me quiero despedir dejando al Almería en Primera División" ("I want to say goodbye leaving Almería in Primera División"); Almeria's official website, 13 May 2014 (Spanish)

External links

• Esteban profile at BDFutbol
• Esteban profile at Futbolme (Spanish)
• Esteban profile at Soccerway