Javier_González_Gómez
Javi González (footballer, born 1974)
Spanish footballer
Javier 'Javi' González Gómez (born 22 March 1974) is a Spanish retired footballer. Mainly a midfielder, he could operate on either side of the pitch.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Javier González Gómez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-03-22) 22 March 1974 (age 50)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Barakaldo, Spain[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1993 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1994 | Bilbao Athletic | 15 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Alavés | 5 | (0) |
| 1995–1996 | Sestao | 30 | (8) |
| 1996–1997 | Celta | 24 | (1) |
| 1997–2007 | Athletic Bilbao | 220 | (9) |
| 2006 | → Ashdod (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Hércules | 12 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Portugalete | ||
| Total | 317 | (18) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He spent most of his professional career with Athletic Bilbao, playing 254 competitive matches in ten La Liga seasons.[2][3]
González was born in Barakaldo, Biscay. After growing through the ranks of Athletic Bilbao, he played one season each with Basque neighbours Deportivo Alavés (Segunda División B) and Sestao Sport Club (Segunda División, relegated).[4]
In 1997–98, after one year with fellow La Liga club RC Celta de Vigo, González returned to the San Mamés Stadium as a full member of the main squad, scoring five goals in 30 games as Athletic finished second and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.[5][4] He even featured occasionally as an attacking right-back.[6][7]
After a serious knee injury in late 2004,[8] González's role gradually diminished; he totalled only 26 league matches in three seasons. He also served a six-month loan at Israeli Premier League side F.C. Ashdod, where his former Celta teammate Haim Revivo worked as director of football.[9]
González signed for second-tier Hércules CF in July 2007, appearing sparingly in his first season. In the next, in which the Alicante team finished fourth, he was left without a squad number by manager Juan Carlos Mandiá.[10][11]
Aged 35, González joined lowly Club Portugalete, thus returning to his native region.[12] He retired in 2011 after two seasons in the Tercera División.[4]
- Javi González at WorldFootball.net
- Llorente jugará en Málaga su partido 250 con el Athletic (Llorente will play 250th match with Athletic in Málaga); El Correo, 19 September 2011 (in Spanish)
- Julen no falla (Julen does not fail); Mundo Deportivo, 10 December 1998 (in Spanish)
- Javi González renueva por dos temporadas (Javi González renews for two seasons); Libertad Digital, 14 April 2005 (in Spanish)
- Javi González: "El Athletic es el equipo que más difícil lo pone en el Camp Nou" (Javi González: "Athletic are the team who pose the most problems at the Camp Nou"); El Desmarque, 31 January 2017 (in Spanish)
- González faces knee surgery; UEFA, 20 October 2004
- Javi González se marcha cedido al Ashdod israelí (Javi González goes to Israel's Ashdod on loan); El Mundo, 30 December 2005 (in Spanish)
- Javi González se une a la lista de descartes de Mandiá (Javi González joins Mandiá's transfer list); Diario AS, 10 August 2008 (in Spanish)
- Javi González ficha por el Portugalete de Tercera (Javi González signs with Portugalete from Tercera); Marca, 21 August 2009 (in Spanish)
- Javi González at BDFutbol
- Javi González at Athletic Bilbao