Esteban (footballer) explained

Esteban
Fullname:Esteban Andrés Suárez[1]
Birth Date:27 June 1975
Birth Place:Avilés, Spain
Height:1.770NaN0
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthclubs1:Navarro
Years1:1993–1995
Caps1:46
Goals1:0
Years2:1995–1996
Caps2:40
Goals2:0
Years3:1996–1997
Caps3:40
Goals3:0
Years4:1997–2002
Caps4:182
Goals4:0
Years5:2002–2003
Caps5:23
Goals5:0
Years6:2003–2005
Caps6:58
Goals6:0
Years7:2005–2008
Caps7:33
Goals7:0
Years8:2008–2014
Caps8:136
Goals8:0
Years9:2014–2017
Caps9:68
Goals9:0
Totalcaps:626
Totalgoals:0
Nationalyears1:1998
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2000–2002
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals2:0

Esteban Andrés Suárez (born 27 June 1975), known simply as Esteban, is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

He started and finished his extensive senior career, which spanned more than two decades, at Real Oviedo. He appeared in 280 matches in La Liga over 13 seasons, also representing in the competition Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, Celta and Almería.[2]

Club career

Early years

Born in Avilés, Asturias, Esteban began his career with hometown's SD Navarro CF in 1993, but soon moved to local giants Real Oviedo after a stint at Real Avilés Industrial. In five seasons with the first team, four of those spent in La Liga, he only missed a total of 12 league games, and moved to Atlético Madrid in summer 2002 as the Colchoneros had just returned to the top flight after a two-year absence,[3] finishing the campaign as starter after beginning as understudy to Germán Burgos.[4] [5]

Esteban joined fellow top-division club Sevilla FC in August 2003.[6] After two solid seasons with the Andalusians (two sixth league places, as first choice) he signed for RC Celta de Vigo,[7] backing up José Manuel Pinto in the Segunda División side until the latter moved to FC Barcelona in January 2008.[8]

Almería

In the 2008 off-season, Esteban joined UD Almería in the top tier,[9] where he was second choice to Diego Alves in his first year. However, profiting from injury to the starter in late March 2009, he was put between the posts and remained there until the end of the season even when the Brazilian recovered.[10]

In the 2009–10 campaign, Esteban's league output consisted of 30 minutes – the last round notwithstanding[11] – after Alves was sent off in a 0–3 home defeat against Valencia CF.[12] At the season's end, however, the 35-year-old renewed his contract for another year.[13]

Esteban continued as Alves' backup in 2010–11. He was the starter, however, in Almería's Copa del Rey run, which saw the club reach the competition's semi-finals for the first time ever.[14] In the final stretch of the campaign, as they were already relegated and Alves announced his departure to Valencia, he appeared in four matches and conceded 11 goals, including eight in a 8–1 loss at Real Madrid.[15] [16] [17] [18]

Subsequently, at 36, Esteban became Almería's first choice.[19] He played all 42 league games during the second-division season, conceding 43 goals as the team finished seventh.[20]

Esteban did not miss one single match in the 2013–14 campaign, as the Rojiblancos were again in the Spanish top flight and managed to stay afloat.[21]

Return to Oviedo

On 13 May 2014, Esteban announced he was returning to Oviedo twelve years after leaving.[22] An undisputed starter in his first two seasons, he was overtaken by new signing Juan Carlos in 2016–17.[23]

On 29 June 2017, despite Esteban's willingness to play a further season,[24] he retired and was immediately included in the club's backroom staff.[25]

Honours

Oviedo

2014–15

Spain U21

1998

Notes and References

  1. News: ESTEBAN Andrés Suárez. El Mundo. Spanish. 20 June 2019.
  2. https://www.elcomercio.es/real-oviedo/noticias/201501/14/portero-incombustible-20150114001624-v.html El portero incombustible (The neverending goalkeeper)
  3. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2002/08/15/mas_futbol/1029362420_850215.html Esteban, nuevo jugador del Atlético (Esteban, new player of Atlético)
  4. https://as.com/masdeporte/2002/09/28/polideportivo/1033186584_850215.html Esteban vence al Mono Burgos (Esteban beats Monkey Burgos)
  5. https://www.marca.com/2013/09/14/futbol/equipos/atletico/1379153311.html Para debate, el suyo (Speaking about debates, theirs)
  6. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2003/08/08/mas_futbol/1060293607_850215.html Esteban: "A ver si puedo debutar en la selección jugando aquí" (Esteban: "Let's see if i can make the national team playing here")
  7. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2005/07/07/mas_futbol/1120687219_850215.html Esteban: "Vengo a ayudar y a ganarme la titularidad" (Esteban "I come to help and to earn myself a starting position")
  8. https://www.publico.es/actualidad/pinto-eterno-suplente-profesional-del.html Pinto, el eterno suplente, un profesional del fútbol (Pinto, the eternal backup, a professional of football)
  9. http://www.elalmeria.es/article/deportes/172242/almeria/ficha/portero/esteban/andres/suarez.html El Almería ficha al portero Esteban Andrés Suárez (Almería sign goalkeeper Esteban Andrés Suárez)
  10. https://as.com/futbol/2009/04/01/mas_futbol/1238567256_850215.html Se vuelve a encender la alarma por Diego Alves (Alarms go off for Diego Alves again)
  11. Web site: Rodri fires into raptures. ESPN Soccernet. 15 May 2010. 14 June 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110714053746/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275757?cc=5739. 14 July 2011. dmy.
  12. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=275911&cc=5739 Pablo inspires Los Che win
  13. http://www.marca.com/2010/05/10/futbol/equipos/almeria/1273522651.html El Almería renueva a Esteban y Kalu Uche (Almería renew Esteban and Kalu Uche)
  14. http://www.marca.com/marcador/futbol/2010_11/copa/cuartos/vuelta/dep_alm/ El Almería se niega a despertar del sueño (Almería refuse to awake from dream)
  15. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=301924&cc=5739 Almeria suffer relegation
  16. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=302135&cc=5739 Third place dream dying for Villarreal
  17. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=301873&cc=5739 Rare win for Almeria
  18. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=302157&cc=5739 Ronaldo breaks record in rout
  19. https://elpais.com/deportes/2011/09/30/actualidad/1317367326_850215.html La hora de Esteban (Esteban's time)
  20. http://almeria360.com/deportes/13022013_el-almeria-ensancha-el-record-de-esteban-y-el-portero-hace-una-estirada-al-ascenso_61552.html El Almería ensancha el récord de Esteban y el portero hace una estirada al ascenso (Almería extend Esteban record and the goalkeeper goes one-on-one with promotion)
  21. https://www.vavel.com/es/futbol/ud-almeria/352027.html Esteban, el adiós más dulce (Esteban, the sweetest goodbye)
  22. https://www.udalmeriasad.com/noticias/me-quiero-despedir-dejando-al-almeria-en-primera-division "Me quiero despedir dejando al Almería en Primera División" ("I want to say goodbye leaving Almería in Primera División")
  23. https://www.marca.com/futbol/oviedo/2017/07/20/5970c6d322601d10418b45b6.html Juan Carlos se reivindica (Juan Carlos takes a stand)
  24. http://www.lne.es/real-oviedo/2017/06/30/esteban-quiere-jugar-club-piensa/2128453.html Esteban quiere jugar y el club piensa en él como entrenador (Esteban wants to play and the club thinks about him as a manager)
  25. http://www.marca.com/futbol/oviedo/2017/06/29/5955362b46163fcd6f8b457e.html El Oviedo hace público en su web el futuro de sus 26 jugadores (Oviedo turn public future of their 26 players in their web)