Ion Vélez

Ion Vélez
Personal information
Full nameIon Vélez Martínez
Date of birth17 February 1985
Place of birthTafalla, Spain
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current team
Alavés
Number11
Youth career
Peña Sport
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2003–2004Peña Sport31(4)
2004–2005Baskonia26(7)
2005–2007Bilbao Athletic20(4)
2006–2007→ Barakaldo (loan)32(12)
2007–2011Athletic Bilbao44(3)
2008→ Hércules (loan)20(5)
2011→ Numancia (loan)18(0)
2011–2013Girona27(2)
2013–Alavés46(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 December 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Vélez and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.

Ion Vélez Martínez (born 17 February 1985 in Tafalla, Navarre) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Deportivo Alavés as a forward.

Football career

Bought by Athletic Bilbao from lowly Peña Sport FC in 2003, Vélez spent time with the club's B and feeder clubs, subsequently being loaned to neighbours Barakaldo CF in the third division. He made his debut for the first team on 26 August 2007, in the goalless La Liga home draw against CA Osasuna.[1]

After spending the second part of the 2007–08 season on loan to second level's Hércules CF, where he appeared significantly – after his debut with the Alicante side, he managed to play, in the same season, in the three major categories of Spanish football – Vélez was definitely promoted to Bilbao's main squad for 2008–09. He appeared significantly during the league campaign (28 matches, although only four complete) and, on 9 May 2009, scored the game's only goal as the Basque defeated Real Betis at home.[2]

During the first part of 2010–11, Vélez only appeared in five official games for Athletic, all as a second-half substitute. On 19 January 2011 he moved to CD Numancia in division two, on loan, reuniting with former Athletic teammate – and namesake – Iñigo Vélez;[3] in late July, after being deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Marcelo Bielsa, he rescinded his link with the club and signed for Girona FC also in the category, with his former team having a rebuying option at the end of the 2011–12 season.[4]

On 3 October 2011, during an away league game against Xerez CD, Velez collided with opponent goalkeeper Toni Doblas, suffering an extremely serious injury to his right knee which sidelined him for the rest of the campaign.[5][6] In July 2013 he signed with Deportivo Alavés, freshly promoted to the second level.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Athletic Bilbao 0–0 Osasuna; ESPN Soccernet, 26 August 2007
  2. ↑ Athletic Bilbao 1–0 Real Betis; ESPN Soccernet, 9 May 2009
  3. ↑ El Numancia se refuerza con delantero cedido del Athletic a Ion Vélez (Numancia strengthens squad with Ion Vélez, loaned by Athletic); ADN, 19 January 2011 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Ion Vélez ficha por el Girona (Ion Vélez signs for Girona); Canal Athletic, 23 July 2011 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ Grave lesión de Ion Velez (Serious injury for Ion Vélez); Marca, 3 October 2011 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Ion Vélez, seis meses de baja por la lesión de rodilla sufrida en Jerez (Ion Vélez, six months out due to knee injury occurred in Jerez); El Confidencial, 4 October 2011 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ El Alavés ficha al atacante Ion Vélez (Alavés signs forward Ion Vélez); Marca, 4 July 2013 (Spanish)

External links