Javi Martínez

Profile Football Stars | Javi Martínez | Athletic de Bilbao signed Martínez as a raw 17-year old for € 6 million, in the summer of 2006, from fellow La Liga team CA Osasuna, Despite him never having played a first team game. In 2009, he was the midfield engine of the team once more - 46 official matches, nine goals - he scored a career-best six times in the league campaign, as Athletic narrowly missed on another UEFA Europa League qualification. In the 2011-12 season, under new manager Marcelo Bielsa, Martínez began being regularly used as a central defender.

On 20 May 2010, he was named in the senior side's list of 23 for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, by manager Vicente del Bosque. Martínez played once in the final stages, Replacing injured Xabi Alonso for the final 20 minutes of the 2-1 group stage win against Chile, on 25 June, as Spain emerged victorious in the tournament.

Personal information
Full name Javier Martínez Aguinaga
Date of birth 2 September 1988 (age 23)
Place of birth Estella, Spain
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder / Centre back

Club information
Current club Athletic Bilbao
Number 24

Youth career
1993-1995 Berceo
1995-1997 Logroñés
CD Arenas
Izarra
Osasuna 2001-2005

Senior career
years Team
2005-2006 Osasuna B 32 (2)
2006-Athletic Bilbao 180 (20)

National team
2005 Spain U17 5 (0)
2006-2007 Spain U19 5 (0)
2007-2011 Spain U21 24 (1)
2010-Spain 7 (0)

Honours

Club
Athletic Bilbao
     Copa del Rey: Runner-up 2008-09
     Supercopa de España: Runner-up 2009

Spain
     FIFA World Cup: 2010
Spain U21
     UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship: 2011
Spain U19
     UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: 2007

Individual
     La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2010

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