Lillo (footballer)

Lillo
Personal information
Full nameManuel Castellano Castro
Date of birth27 March 1989
Place of birthAspe, Spain
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionLeft back
Club information
Current team
Eibar
Number16
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2007–2010Valencia B45(0)
2008–2009→ Murcia (loan)11(0)
2010Valencia1(0)
2010–2012Almería B44(0)
2010Almería2(0)
2012–2013Alcoyano23(0)
2013–Eibar50(0)
National team
2006Spain U179(0)
2007–2008Spain U196(0)
2009Spain U206(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 April 2015.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Castellano and the second or maternal family name is Castro.

Manuel Castellano Castro, commonly known as Lillo (born 27 March 1989), is a Spanish footballer who plays for SD Eibar as a left back.

Club career

Born in Aspe, Alicante, Valencian Community, Lillo began his career with local Valencia CF, playing three seasons with the reserves. In 2006–07 and 2009–10 he totalled 23 appearances combined, with the team being relegated from the third division on both occasions; in between he spent the 2008–09 campaign on loan at Real Murcia, playing in less than one third of the games as the club finished 14th in the second level.

On 21 March 2010 Lillo appeared in his first official match with the main squad, playing the first 45 minutes of a 2–0 La Liga home win against UD Almería.[1] In late May, as his contract with the Che was expiring, he signed with Elche CF;[2] however, due to a mistake from his agent, the move was declared void and, two months later, he joined Almería.[3]

Lillo spent the vast majority of his first season with the Andalusians with the B-side in division three, playing in only two games with the first team. In November 2012 the free agent joined another club in the category, CD Alcoyano.[4]

On 18 July 2013 Lillo moved to SD Eibar, freshly promoted to the second division.[5] He appeared in 26 matches during his debut campaign, with the Armeros being promoted to the top level for the first time ever, and on 11 July 2014 renewed his link with the Basque for a further year.[6]

On 31 December 2014 Lillo extended his link with the club, until 2017.[7]

Honours

Club

Eibar

Country

Spain U20

References

  1. ↑ Valencia 2–0 Almeria; ESPN Soccernet, 21 March 2010
  2. ↑ El Elche ficha a Lillo (Elche signs Lillo); Info Expres, 27 May 2010 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Lillo, ex del Valencia, ficha por filial (Ex-Valencia Lillo signs with B team); El Almería, 26 August 2010 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Alcoyano cierra la plantilla con el fichaje de Manuel Castellano 'Lillo' (Alcoyano closes roster with signing of Manuel Castellano 'Lillo'); Diario Información, 9 November 2012 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ El Eibar refuerza su zaga con el lateral Lillo, del Alcoyano (Eibar bolsters defence with full-back Lillo, from Alcoyano); El Correo, 18 July 2013 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Presentación oficial de Lillo y Jaime Jiménez (Official presentation of Lillo and Jaime Jiménez); Eibar's official website, 11 July 2014 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ "Lillo renueva por dos temporadas más por la SD Eibar" [Lillo renews for two further seasons with SD Eibar] (in Spanish). Eibar's official website. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  8. ↑ ITA – ESP 1:2 (0:0); Pescara 2009, 4 July 2009

External links