Spanish football returns this weekend and one man in particular will be savouring his return to La Liga action: The nomadic Spanish trotter Ålvaro Negredo.
Ålvaro Negredo: La Liga’s Journeyman
Early Years of Negredo: From Real Madrid to Sevilla
The former Spain international has bags of La Liga experience. He commenced his career with Rayo Vallecano in 2003 before making the move to Real Madrid’s youth team. He scored 18 goals in the 2006/07 season. It didn’t earn him a first team call up but would earn him a breakthrough move to Almería. It would prove to be a highly successful two-year-spell. His second season yielded 19 goals which earned him another important move.
This time, the Andalusians of Sevilla came calling. It would be there where he would collect his first trophy of his career when he lifted the 2010 Copa del Rey trophy. He would also be part of Spain’s 2012 European Championship winning side during his spell with Sevilla. Indeed, 79 goals in 130 games over four seasons arose further transfer talk.
Negredo the Cityzen
It would lead to swapping La Liga with the Premier League as Manchester City would be his next destination. And Negredo managed to bag a remarkable 23 goals in all competitions despite the fact he didn’t score again after January. In his short time, he managed to win the League and League Cup. It was a blistering start to his career in England, but, soon he would be packing his bags back to La Liga and Valencia. A similar theme would occur with the target man from Madrid initially hitting the ground running before fading away.
Further Escapades Overseas Before a Return to Spain
He once again appeared in the Premier League with Middlesbrough. But after only nine goals, he changed countries twice again. Firstly to Turkey and Besiktas where he scored another nine goals before moving onto Dubai and Al Nasr. Two years in the sun brought up his goal tally worth 31 goals in 53 games.
Which leads to now and yet another return to La Liga, this time with La Liga new boys Cádiz. And their supporters can expect a powerful display with his strong aerial ability. Negredo is an enigma who is both a typical Spanish bull, yet also elegant with his style of play. He is also known for his strong striking ability and, as a central striker, being a fox in the box with that strikers instinct. Negredo is also a good link up man, able to drop into deeper pockets of space as a good foil for midfielders.
His record demonstrates his knack of goals and scoring at crucial times at each of his clubs. This will be the striker’s sixth Spanish club and Cádiz will be pinning their hopes on the forward to maintain their La Liga status.
Calamitous Cádiz Prevail
His latest club Cádiz, known as The Yellow and Blues for their club colours, return to La Liga for the first time since 2006. Yet, the team had a very strange season and didn’t make it easy for themselves to gain promotion. They were long time leaders of the Segunda having had a substantial early lead of 15 points. But Cádiz blew their huge gap and slipped out of the play offs. However, the team found their feet again and rose to the top. Although, they were beaten to the post in the last round of matches to Huesca.
Loyal Fan Base
Cádiz are known in Spain for their entertaining and extrovert nature and being just a good old fashioned happy bunch of fans. Happy much like its idyllic, but quaint, ancient port city where they reside. They are also loyal to the crest and will follow their team whichever division they are in. Be it in even in the third tier of Spanish football. In the normal world, ‘Cadistas’ would also travel in their droves to away matches. Even as far as the Northern tip of the country.
Their fabled Nuevo Estadio Ramón de Carranza stadium hosts many a summer pre-season tournament. It is a shame their boisterous supporters won’t be able to pack their 25,033 capacity stadium for now.
The club recently celebrated their 110 year anniversary and kick off their La Liga return at home to Osasuna.
Cádiz represents the striker’s latest port of call, literally. It is the latest stop on the La Liga line for Álvaro Negredo, a footballing nomad of his generation.
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