Nino (footballer)

Nino

Nino as a Tenerife player in 2010
Personal information
Full nameJuan Francisco Martínez Modesto
Date of birth10 June 1980
Place of birthVera, Spain
Height1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Osasuna
Number7
Youth career
CD Vera
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1997–1998Elche B
1998–2006Elche273(87)
2006–2008Levante19(1)
2007–2008Tenerife (loan)40(18)
2008–2011Tenerife119(60)
2011–Osasuna88(18)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 February 2015.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Martínez and the second or maternal family name is Modesto.

Juan Francisco Martínez Modesto, commonly known as Nino (born 10 June 1980), is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for CA Osasuna as a striker.

Over the course of 11 seasons he amassed Segunda División totals of 400 games and 159 goals, mainly with Elche. In La Liga he represented Levante, Tenerife and Osasuna.

Football career

An extremely prolific goalscorer in the second division, Nino was born in Vera, Almería, and first appeared professionally with Elche CF, helping the side achieve promotion from the third level in the 1998–99 season. In the following campaign he made his debuts in division two, with 16 matches and two goals, and would go on to develop as an influential figure for the Alicante province team in the following years.

After having scored 20 goals during 2004–05, Nino made his La Liga debuts two seasons later, joining neighbours Levante UD. However, he would only find the net once throughout the entire campaign, in a 1–2 loss at CA Osasuna on 20 December 2006,[1] but the Valencian managed to avoid relegation after finishing in 15th position.

Nino returned to the second level in the 2007–08 season, loaned to CD Tenerife, and finished the campaign with 18 goals, second best in the league behind Xerez CD's Yordi. The move was made permanent afterwards, on a three-year deal.

In 2008–09 season Nino was finally crowned the second tier's topscorer at 29 goals, and Tenerife returned to the top flight after a seven-year hiatus. In the following campaign he was again the club's main offensive reference: on 18 April 2010 he scored a hat-trick at home against Getafe CF (3–2),[2] totalling 14 at the end of the season, but the Canary Islands side was eventually relegated; he bettered to 17 the following season, but his team dropped down another division.

Nino rejoined the top level in early July 2011, with the 31-year-old signing a 2+1 contract with Osasuna.[3] He netted in only his second official game, a 2–1 home win against Sporting de Gijón.[4]

Honours

Individual

References

  1. Osasuna 2–1 Levante; ESPN Soccernet, 20 December 2006
  2. Nino treble inspires Tenerife; ESPN Soccernet, 18 April 2010
  3. Osasuna ficha a Nino (Osasuna signs Nino); Osasuna's official website, 8 July 2011 (Spanish)
  4. Osasuna claim first win; ESPN Soccernet, 11 September 2011

External links

Preceded by
Spain Yordi
for Xerez
Segunda División Pichichi Trophy Winner
2008–09
Succeeded by
Spain Molina
for Elche
Preceded by
Spain Yordi
for Xerez
Segunda División Zarra Trophy Winner
2008–09
Succeeded by
Spain Molina
for Elche