Fernando Llorente Torres

 

Profile Football Stars | Fernando Llorente Torres | Llorente scored 12 goals in 33 appearances for Baskonia, paving way for his promotion to Athletic Bilbao, Athletic's reserve team, then in the Segunda División B. Fernando Llorente Torres, nicknamed El Rey Leon (The Lion King in Spanish), is a Spanish footballer plays for Athletic Bilbao who  and the Spanish national team, as a striker. A Spanish international since late 2008, he helped the national team win the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

After featuring in 16 games and scoring four goals for the Athletic Bilbao in the first half of season, Llorente was awarded with a contract extension until June 2008. Three days later, in a Copa del Rey match with UD Lanzarote, he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 victory, and would go on to feature in all but five of the 19 remaining league games while scoring three goals, and also featuring in four domestic cup matches and the UEFA Cup round-of-32 game against FK Austria Wien.

On 28 August 2010, Llorente scored the first goal of 2010-11, in a 1-0 win at Hercules CF. His form continued in the next ten league fixtures, as he found the net seven times, eventually finishing the season with 18 goals (19 overall), as Athletic qualified to the Europa League.In January / February 2012, in two away games separated by only four days, Llorente scored five goals: he started with a hat-trick in a 3-2 win against Rayo Vallecano, adding two in Athletic's win over CD Mirandés for the Spanish Cup semifinals (2-1).

Llorente represented Spain at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. On 14 November 2008, senior national team manager Vicente del Bosque called Llorente for a friendly against Chile. After scoring 14 goals for Athletic in 2008-09, del Bosque named Llorente in his 23-man squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He CAME from the bench against hosts South Africa, and scored in a 2-0 victory.  Additionally, Llorente was called several times by the Basque Country national football team. He scored one goal for the tricolor in a match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, in 2006.

Personal information
Full name Fernando Llorente Torres
Date of birth 26 February 1985 (age 27)
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information
Current club Athletic Bilbao
Number 9

Youth career
Funes FC 1994-1995
1995-1996 River Ebro
1996-2003 Athletic Bilbao

Senior career
years Team
Baskonia 2003-2004 33 (12)
Athletic Bilbao 2004-2005 16 (4)
2005-Athletic Bilbao 227 (78)

National team
2003 Spain U17 3 (2)
2005 Spain U20 4 (5)
2005-2006 Spain U21 9 (5)
2008-Spain 20 (7)

Honours
Club
     Spanish Cup: Runner-up 2008-09
     Spanish Supercup: Runner-up 2009

Country
     FIFA World Cup: 2010
     FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009
     UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup: 2003

Individual
     FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005 Silver Boot