Javier Artero
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Javier Artero López | ||
| Date of birth | 16 April 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1995 | Moscardó | 28 | (3) |
| 1995–1997 | Real Madrid C | 51 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | → Leganés (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Málaga | 19 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Badajoz | 25 | (1) |
| 1999–2000 | San Lorenzo | 3 | (0) |
| 2000 | → Dundee (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2000–2002 | Dundee | 56 | (3) |
| Total | 198 | (8) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Javier Artero López (born 16 April 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a midfielder.
After playing for five teams in the lower leagues in his country he joined Dundee in Scotland, appearing two years with the team before being forced to retire at only 27, due to illness.
Football career
Early years
Born in Madrid, Artero started playing football with local amateurs CD Colonia Moscardó. In 1995 he joined Real Madrid, but never made it past the C-team, also being loaned to another club in the community, CD Leganés in Segunda División, and appearing very rarely in the course of his only season.
Subsequently, Artero dropped down to Segunda División B and joined Málaga CF, helping the Andalusians return to the second level after which he signed for another side in that category, CD Badajoz.
Dundee
In 1999, Artero moved abroad and joined San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina. From March–May of the following year he was loaned to Dundee Football Club in the Scottish Premier League, with the move being made permanent on 1 July[1] for £300,000, a then-club record. On the 30th, he scored in a 2–0 away win against Motherwell.[2]
On 18 November 2000 Artero contributed with one goal to a 5–0 home success against St. Mirren,[3] and enjoyed his best years as a professional with the Dark Blues, appearing in 64 official games with the side and helping it to the sixth place in his first year, with the subsequent qualification to the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
On 1 August 2001, 26-year-old Artero was admitted to hospital with an unknown disease,[4] which was revealed to be multiple sclerosis early into the following month.[5] Even though he was still able to take part in some games in the 2001–02 season,[6][7] he was forced to retire from football in August 2002, being immediately named Dundee's international scout.[8]
References
- ↑ Dundee add to foreign quota; BBC Sport, 1 July 2000
- ↑ Dundee win as manager sees red; BBC Sport, 30 July 2000
- ↑ Five-star Dundee crush Buddies; BBC Sport, 18 November 2000
- ↑ Artero admitted to hospital; BBC Sport, 1 August 2001
- ↑ Artero reveals serious illness; BBC Sport, 6 September 2001
- ↑ Killie win at Dens Park; BBC Sport, 21 December 2001
- ↑ Dundee see off hapless Hibs; BBC Sport, 11 January 2002
- ↑ MS forces Artero retiral; BBC Sport, 29 August 2002