Manu del Moral

Manu

Manu in action for Sevilla in 2011
Personal information
Full name Manuel del Moral Fernández
Date of birth (1984-02-25) 25 February 1984
Place of birth Jaén, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Numancia
Number 7
Youth career
Jaén
2001–2002 Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2006 Atlético Madrid B 71 (11)
2004–2006 Atlético Madrid 5 (0)
2004–2005 → Recreativo (loan) 33 (4)
2006–2011 Getafe 159 (37)
2011–2015 Sevilla 56 (11)
2013–2014 → Elche (loan) 24 (2)
2014–2015 → Eibar (loan) 28 (3)
2015–2016 Valladolid 25 (3)
2016– Numancia 20 (9)
National team
2002–2003 Spain U19 4 (3)
2002–2003 Spain U20 9 (0)
2005 Spain U23 5 (2)
2011 Spain 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 March 2017.

Manuel del Moral Fernández (born 25 February 1984), commonly known as Manu, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for CD Numancia as either a forward or winger.

Club career

Atlético

Manu was born in Jaén, Andalusia. After starting his formation with local Real Jaén[1] he finished it with Atlético Madrid, where he played alongside Braulio, and served a one-and-a-half-season loan in the second division at Recreativo de Huelva, only appearing in five matches with one goal during his first year.

While mainly registered with the capital side's B-team, Manu did appear in five La Liga matches in the 2005–06 campaign, mainly as a late substitute.

Getafe

Manu joined Madrid neighbours Getafe CF for 2006–07, scoring his first top flight goal on 22 October 2006 in a 2–1 success at precisely Recre and finishing the season with eight (squad's second-best, behind Daniel Güiza). The following campaign he teamed up again with Braulio, and netted seven times – joint-top scorer alongside Juan Ángel Albín – while also helping the Madrid outskirts team to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

The arrival of Roberto Soldado relegated del Moral to a more secondary role in 2008–09, but he still appeared in 29 league contests, operating mostly on the wings. On 24 January 2010, he scored the game's only goal as Getafe defeated former side Atlético Madrid for the first time at home in its history;[2] on 7 November, after netting in a 1–3 home loss against FC Barcelona, he became the club's best-ever scorer in the top division for the second time, surpassing precisely Soldado.[3]

On 14 March 2011, Manu scored three goals against Athletic Bilbao in only 25 minutes, one in his own net, in an eventual 2–2 home draw.[4] He finished the season with a career-best nine goals, as Getafe narrowly avoided relegation.

Sevilla

On 23 May 2011, del Moral signed a four-year contract with Sevilla FC for €4 million.[5] Following the departure of winger Diego Capel and the ageing of striker Frédéric Kanouté, he was immediately cast into his new team's starting XI. On 25 October, he hit an injury-time header to earn his side one point at home against Racing de Santander (2–2) – he had also opened the score late into the first half.[6]

In late March 2012, Manu scored braces in two consecutive 3–0 away wins, first against Santander then in a local derby at Granada CF.[7][8]

International career

On 7 June 2011, after his best season at Getafe, del Moral made his debut for Spain, replacing David Villa during half-time of a 3–0 friendly win with Venezuela.[9][10]

Club statistics

As of 23 May 2015[11]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Atlético B 2002–03 363——363
2003–04 141——141
Total 504——504
Recreativo 2003–04 51——51
2004–05 28340—323
Total 3344000374
Atlético Madrid 2005–06 5000—50
Total 5000—50
Getafe 2006–07 29860—358
2007–08 3475170468
2008–09 29510—398
2009–10 36881—449
2010–11 3092050379
Total 1563722212019039
Sevilla 2011–12 341040204010
2012–13 22152—273
Total 561192206713
Elche 2013–14 24200—242
Total 24200—242
Eibar 2014–15 28300—283
Total 28300—283
Career totals 3496135414039865

Honours

Club

Getafe

Country

Spain U20
Spain U23

References

  1. ↑ Cómo se 'fabrica' un Manu del Moral (How to 'make' a Manu del Moral); Ideal, 21 January 2008 (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Manu haunts old club; ESPN Soccernet, 24 January 2010
  3. ↑ Manu, máximo goleador en la historia del Getafe (Manu, top goal scorer in Getafe history); Diario AS, 7 November 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ Vera rescues point for Bilbao; ESPN Soccernet, 14 March 2011
  5. ↑ Official: Sevilla sign Manu del Moral and Piotr Trochowski; Goal.com, 23 May 2011
  6. ↑ Manu salvages point for Sevilla; ESPN Soccernet, 25 October 2011
  7. ↑ Manu double downs Racing; ESPN Soccernet, 22 March 2012
  8. ↑ Sevilla cruise to victory; ESPN Soccernet, 26 March 2012
  9. ↑ Manu wins first Spain call-up; ESPN Soccernet, 25 May 2011
  10. ↑ Macdonald, Paul (5 June 2011). "Cazorla & Silva shine, Negredo nets, Torres returns – Spain extract maximum satisfaction from comfortable USA triumph". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Manu del Moral". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "Mediterranean Games 2005 (Spain)". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
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