Iago Aspas

Iago Aspas

Aspas with Sevilla in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Iago Aspas Juncal[1]
Date of birth	1 August 1987
Place of birth	Moaña, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Celta
Number	9
Youth career
	Moaña
1995–2006	Celta
2004–2005	→ Rápido Bouzas (loan)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2006–2009	Celta B	84	(11)
2008–2013	Celta	139	(46)
2013–2015	Liverpool	14	(0)
2014–2015	→ Sevilla (loan)	16	(2)
2015	Sevilla	0	(0)
2015–	Celta	33	(14)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 April 2016. † Appearances (goals)

Iago Aspas Juncal (Galician pronunciation: [iˈaɣo ˈaspas]; born 1 August 1987) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Celta de Vigo as a striker.

He spent most of his career with Celta de Vigo, appearing in 153 official games over the course of six seasons and scoring 50 goals.^[3] He made his La Liga debut with the club in 2012, and moved to Liverpool the following year.

After a loan at Sevilla, Aspas returned to Celta in 2015.

Club career

Celta

Aspas playing for Celta in 2012

Aspas was born in Moaña, Pontevedra. Brought through the youth ranks of local club Celta de Vigo, he made his first-team debuts in the 2007–08 season with the side in Segunda División,^[4][5] then played his second game on 6 June 2009: brought on as a 59th-minute substitute against Deportivo Alavés he scored both of his team's goals in a 2–1 home win, being essential as it eventually escaped relegation.^[6] When he was 17 he was loaned to neighbouring Rápido de Bouzas, where he spent his penultimate year as a junior.^[7]

Aspas was definitely promoted from the reserves for 2009–10, going on to appear in several more campaigns in the second tier with the Galicians. In the 2011–12 season he netted a career-best 23 league goals, second-best in the competition behind UD Almería's Leonardo Ulloa^[8] as Celta returned to La Liga after a five-year absence.^[9] As a result of his performances, he was voted the best forward and Zarra Trophy winner for the category.^[10]

Aspas made his top flight debut on 18 August 2012, starting in a 0–1 home loss against Málaga CF.^[11] He scored his first goal in the competition the following month, contributing to a 2–0 win over CA Osasuna also at Balaídos,^[12] and added a further 11 during the campaign to help the side escape relegation in the final matchday.^[13][14]

On 15 March 2013, during the 1–3 Galician derby away loss to Deportivo de La Coruña, Aspas was sent off after half an hour for headbutting Carlos Marchena.^[15]

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers instructing Aspas in August 2013

In May 2013, it was widely rumoured that a fee estimated between £7–9 million had been agreed for Aspas to join Liverpool, pending personal terms and a medical.^[16][17][18] On 13 June, both clubs agreed a deal in principle to sign the player subject to completion of documentation, but this was delayed when his former agent requested the Royal Spanish Football Federation withheld international clearance because of a dispute over his representation;^[19][20][21] the deal was finally completed on 23 June, and he was given the number 9 shirt.^[22]

Aspas made his Liverpool debut on 13 July 2013, scoring his first goal as well as assisting Raheem Sterling in a 4–0 pre-season friendly win against Preston North End.^[23] He made his Premier League debut on 17 August, providing an assist for Daniel Sturridge in a 1–0 victory over Stoke City at Anfield.^[24]

Aspas scored his first competitive goal for the Reds on 5 January 2014, in a 2–0 win over Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup.^[25] During his spell, he played second-fiddle to Philippe Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge and Luis Suárez as the Reds went on to finish second;^[26] he also struggled with his limited knowledge of the English language.^[27]

Sevilla

On 14 July 2014, Aspas returned to his homeland, being loaned to Sevilla FC in a season-long move and with a permanent three-year deal as an subsequent obligatory option.^[28][29] He made his competitive debut on 12 August in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup at the Cardiff City Stadium, replacing fellow debutant Aleix Vidal after 66 minutes of an eventual 0–2 defeat to Real Madrid.^[30]

On 14 September 2014, Aspas appeared in the league for the first time, coming on for Carlos Bacca for the final seven minutes of a 2–0 home win against Getafe CF.^[31] His first goal for his new club came on 2 October, as he opened the score in a 2–2 draw at HNK Rijeka for the UEFA Europa League group stage;^[32] late in that month he played the full 90 minutes and grabbed a hat-trick against CE Sabadell FC, helping to a 6–1 away routing for the season's Copa del Rey,^[33] adding another treble within a four-minute spell in the second leg for a 5–1 win.^[34] He and FC Barcelona's Neymar were the tournament's top scorers with seven goals each.^[35]

Aspas' first league goal for Sevilla came on 1 February 2015, the winner in a 3–2 victory over RCD Espanyol. Earlier in the game, he had taken a shot which was handled by Kiko Casilla outside of the penalty area, resulting in the goalkeeper's dismissal.^[36]

Return to Celta

On 12 June 2015, Aspas returned to his first club Celta,^[37] signing a five-year contract six days later for a €5 million fee.^[38][39] On 23 September, he scored twice in a 4–1 home win over Barcelona.^[40]

International career

In December 2012 Aspas, along with Michu, was poised to be called up by manager Vicente del Bosque for a debut with the Spanish national team on 6 February 2013, in a friendly with Uruguay in Doha, Qatar.^[41] However, neither made the final squad for that match.^[42]

Personal life

Aspas' older brother, Jonathan, is also a footballer. He too came through Celta's youth system.^[43][44] Their cousin, Aitor, represented smaller teams in their native region.^[45]

Club statistics

As of 20 April 2016^[46][47]

			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2006–07	Celta B	Segunda División B	21	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	21	1
2007–08			32	4	–	–	–	–	–	–	32	4
2008–09			31	6	–	–	–	–	–	–	31	6
2007–08	Celta	Segunda División	1	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	1	0
2008–09			3	2	0	0	–	–	–	–	3	2
2009–10			36	5	7	1	–	–	–	–	43	6
2010–11			30	4	1	1	–	–	–	–	31	5
2011–12			35	23	3	2	–	–	–	–	38	25
2012–13		La Liga	34	12	3	0	–	–	–	–	37	12
Total	Spain		223	57	14	4	–	–	–	–	237	61
2013–14	Liverpool	Premier League	14	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	15	1
Total	England		14	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	15	1
2014–15	Sevilla	La Liga	16	2	5	7	–	–	4	1	25	10
2015–16	Celta	La Liga	32	12	5	4	–	–	–	–	37	16
Total	Spain		48	14	10	11	0	0	4	1	62	26
Career Total			285	71	24	16	0	0	4	1	314	88

Honours

Club

Sevilla

• UEFA Europa League: 2014–15

Individual

• Zarra Trophy (Segunda División): 2011–12
• Best Forward (Segunda División): 2011–12

References

1. "Barclays Premier League squad numbers 2013/14". Premier League. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
2. "Iago Aspas". Goal.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
3. "Iago Aspas, la perla del Celta" [Iago Aspas, Celta's gem]. El Periódico (in Spanish). 8 January 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
4. "U.D. Salamanca SAD – R.C. Celta de Vigo SAD" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
5. "El Salamanca se da una fiesta a costa del Celta" [Salamanca throws party at Celta's expense]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 9 June 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
6. "El Celta sufre para lograr la permanencia y empuja al Alavés al borde del abismo" [Celta suffers to stay afloat and pushes Alavés to abyss]. Marca (in Spanish). 6 June 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
7. "La sangre azul (celeste) de Iago Aspas" [Iago Aspas' (sky) blue blood] (in Spanish). Historias de Segunda. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
8. "Iago Aspas (Celta) se sitúa a cuatro goles de Ulloa (Almería)" [Iago Aspas (Celta) four goals behind Ulloa (Almería)]. ABC (in Spanish). 27 May 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
9. "Iago Aspas, Oubiña y De Lucas, claves en el ascenso" [Iago Aspas, Oubiña and De Lucas, key to promotion] (in Spanish). Te Interesa. 2 June 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
10. "Iago Aspas y Álex López, galardonados como mejor delantero y centrocampista de la Liga Adelante" [Iago Aspas and Álex López, chosen best forward and midfielder in Liga Adelante]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 18 October 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
11. "Olinga makes history". ESPN FC. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
12. "First win for Celta". ESPN FC. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
13. "Aspas, goleador gallego tras 30 años" [Aspas, Galician scorer after 30 years]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 12 November 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
14. "Aspas recupera el olfato goleador" [Aspas regains scoring touch]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 26 February 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
15. "Aspas se ganó la expulsión por un cabezazo a Marchena" [Aspas earned himself an expulsion for a headbutt on Marchena]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 March 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
16. "Liverpool sign Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas for £9m". The Daily Telegraph. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
17. "Liverpool will complete Aspas deal by end of week". ESPN FC. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
18. "Liverpool: Striker Iago Aspas joins from Celta Vigo". BBC Sport. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
19. "Reds agree Aspas deal in principle". Liverpool F.C. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
20. Garrido, Clemente (14 June 2013). "Aspas transfer to Liverpool delayed due to rift with ex-agent". Diario AS. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
21. "El representante de Aspas denuncia al jugador y bloquea su tránsfer" [Aspas' agent files complaint against the player and blocks his transfer]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). EFE. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
22. "Aspas completes Liverpool switch". Liverpool F.C. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
23. "Reds hit Preston for four – report". Liverpool F.C. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
24. "Liverpool 1–0 Stoke". BBC Sport. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
25. "Liverpool 2–0 Oldham". BBC Sport. 5 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
26. Malam, Charlie (20 June 2015). "Iago Aspas and Liverpool: What went wrong?". Vavel. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
27. "Yes, Iago Aspas embarrassed Barcelona… but that doesn’t mean Liverpool should have kept him". Eurosport. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
28. "Liverpool striker Iago Aspas to join Sevilla on season-long loan deal". BBC Sport. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
29. "El Sevilla ficha a Aspas hasta junio de 2018" [Sevilla signs Aspas until June 2018]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 15 July 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
30. Phillips, Rob (12 August 2014). "Super Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice in Real Madrid win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
31. "Sevilla 2–0 Getafe". Goal.com. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
32. "Rijeka 2–2 Sevilla: Mbia rescues a point for 10-man Rojiblancos". Goal.com. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
33. "El Sevilla engrasa la máquina" [Sevilla tunes machine up]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
34. "Aspas abusa de un valiente Sabadell" [Aspas abuses valiant Sabadell]. Marca (in Spanish). 3 December 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
35. "Neymar iguala a Aspas como máximo artillero en Copa" [Neymar equals Aspas as top scorer in the Copa]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 May 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
36. "Iago Aspas' late winner gives Sevilla vengeful win against Espanyol". Fox Sports. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
37. "El regreso más esperado: Iago Aspas vuelve a su casa" [The most awaited return: Iago Aspas returns home] (in Spanish). Celta de Vigo. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
38. "Iago Aspas ya es jugador del Celta tras firmar su contrato" [Iago Aspas already is a Celta player after signing his contract] (in Spanish). Celta de Vigo. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
39. "Iago Aspas vuelve al Celta" [Iago Aspas returns to Celta] (in Spanish). La Nueva España. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
40. "Iago Aspas scores twice as Celta Vigo give Barcelona shock thrashing". The Guardian. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
41. "Free-scoring Swansea star Michu promised Spain call-up for February friendly". Daily Mail. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
42. "Del Bosque: "De momento no encontramos sitio a Michu y Aspas"" [Del Bosque: "No place for Michu and Aspas at the moment"]. Marca (in Spanish). 1 February 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
43. "La saga moañesa del Celta" [Celta's Moaña saga]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 11 June 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
44. "Jonathan Aspas ve a Iago cerca del Valencia" [Jonathan Aspas sees Iago close to Valencia]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 26 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
45. "Aitor Aspas emula con el Coruxo el gol de Messi contra el Getafe" [Aitor Aspas emulates Messi's goal against Getafe with Coruxo]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 January 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
46. "Iago Aspas". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
47. Iago Aspas at ESPN FC

External links

• Iago Aspas profile at BDFutbol
• Iago Aspas profile at Futbolme (Spanish)
• Celta de Vigo biography (Spanish)
• Liverpool historic profile