| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Manuel Mesa Quirós | ||
| Date of birth | December 26, 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | San Roque, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1971–1975 | Linense | ||
| 1975–1987 | Sporting Gijón | 336 | (36) |
| 1987 | Murcia | 0 | (0) |
| 1988 | Linares | ||
| 1988–1991 | Xerez | 93 | (4) |
| 1991–1992 | Linense | ||
| National team | |||
| 1979–1980 | Spain | 2 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2004–2009 | San Roque | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Manuel 'Manolo' Mesa Quirós (born 26 December 1952 in San Roque, Cádiz, Andalusia) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right winger.
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Mesa started playing football at local side Real Balompédica Linense. In 1975, after having been discovered by renowned scout Enrique Casas,[1] he was bought by Sporting de Gijón in La Liga, making his first team debut on 28 December of that year, in a 0–1 loss at UD Salamanca, and appearing a further ten times during that season, which ended in relegation.
From 1978 onwards, with the Asturias side back in the top division, Mesa played an essential part in the club's domestic consolidation, helping it to a runner-up place in the 1978–79 campaign, back-to-back Copa del Rey finals in the early 80's - both lost - and four UEFA Cup participations; due to his incredible stamina, he earned the nickname Siete Pulmones (Seven Lungs).[1]
Mesa played 43 matches in 1986–87, scoring seven times (both career-highs) to help Sporting finish in fourth position. Even though the player, aged nearly 35, was still in good physical conditions, his contract was not renewed, and he moved to Real Murcia, also in the top division, but left the club after a couple of weeks, unsettled.
Mesa then moved closer to his hometown and signed for Xerez CD in the second division, producing three respectable seasons, but being relegated in his last. Six months shy of his 40th birthday, he retired after one year with his very first club, Balompédica Linense, La Balona.
Subsequently, having settled in his hometown, he coached amateurs CD San Roque de Lepe for a few years, also working with the city hall in the sports department.[1]
Mesa played twice for Spain, making his debut on 14 November 1979, and scoring in a 1–3 friendly loss with Denmark, in Cádiz. In the early minutes of his second appearance, another exhibition match, with Czechoslovakia on 16 April 1980, he suffered a serious injury - having to replaced by Sporting Gijón teammate Quini - and was never recalled again.