Manuel Martínez Lara

Manolo Martínez
Personal information
Full nameManuel Martínez Lara
Date of birth15 June 1980
Place of birthBigastro, Spain
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionDefensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
Gimnàstic
Youth career
Hércules
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998–2003Hércules118(5)
2003–2007Gimnàstic77(4)
2007–2010Tenerife111(1)
2010–2013Recreativo89(1)
2013–2014Levadiakos13(0)
2014–Gimnàstic13(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 12 January 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Martínez and the second or maternal family name is Lara.

Manuel 'Manolo' Martínez Lara (born 15 June 1980) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Gimnàstic de Tarragona mainly as a defensive midfielder but also as a central defender.

Football career

Born in Bigastro, Alicante, Martínez started his professional career with local Hércules CF, as a central defender. After years spent almost exclusively in Segunda División B he had a brief spell in La Liga, playing three games for Gimnàstic de Tarragona and being released in the 2007 winter transfer window; his debut in the main category consisted of 55 minutes of a 1–2 home loss against Celta de Vigo, on 10 September 2006.[1]

Martínez then moved to CD Tenerife[2] where he reconverted into a defensive midfielder, greatly helping the club return to the top division in 2009 after a seven-year hiatus. In the subsequent top flight season he played more often than not in his secondary position – stopper – and his performances were overall poorer,[3] with the Canary Islands side being immediately relegated although it would only be certified in the last round against Valencia CF (0–1 away defeat).[4]

In July 2010, aged 30, Martínez did not renew his Tenerife link and agreed a two-year contract with another team in Segunda División, Recreativo de Huelva.[5] On 10 July 2013 he moved abroad, joining Superleague Greece club Levadiakos FC.[6]

In February 2014, Martínez suffered a knee injury which sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. He returned to action in July,[7] and subsequently signed a one-year deal with Gimnàstic.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Pagan cara su inexperiencia (Inexperience cost them dearly); El Mundo Deportivo, 11 September 2006 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ El Tenerife confirma los fichajes de Manolo Martínez y Raúl Navas (Tenerife confirms signings of Manolo Martínez and Raúl Navas); Marca, 4 July 2007 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Manolo Martínez: "Soy el Camacho del Tenerife" (Manolo Martínez: "I am Tenerife's Camacho"); Marca, 10 September 2009 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ El Tenerife llora en Mestalla (Tenerife cries in Mestalla); Marca, 16 May 2010 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ El Recreativo ficha a Manolo Martínez del Tenerife por dos temporadas (Recreativo signs Manolo Martínez from Tenerife for two seasons); Diario AS, 24 July 2010 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Manolo Martínez inicia una aventura griega en el Levadiakos (Manolo Martínez starts a Greek adventure in Levadiakos); Depor Press, 10 July 2013 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ Manolo Martínez ya tiene el alta (Manolo Martínez already has medical clearance); Diari de Tarragona, 16 July 2014 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Manolo Martínez, oficialmente nuevo jugador del Nàstic (Manolo Martínez, officially new player of Nàstic); Gimnàstic's official website, 6 August 2014 (Spanish)

External links