Esteban Granero

Esteban Granero

Granero in action for Real Madrid
Personal information
Full name	Esteban Félix Granero Molina
Date of birth	2 July 1987 (1987-07-02)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid
Number	11
Youth career
1996–2004	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2006	Real Madrid C	48	(9)
2006–2007	Real Madrid B	37	(4)
2007–2009	Getafe	62	(8)
2009–	Real Madrid	59	(4)
National team
2002	Spain U16	1	(0)
2004	Spain U17	5	(0)
2006	Spain U19	9	(1)
2007	Spain U20	5	(0)
2007–2009	Spain U21	10	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:05, 26 February 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Granero and the second or maternal family name is Molina.

Esteban Félix Granero Molina (born 2 July 1987 in Madrid) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid.

A versatile element, known as El Pirata (the pirate), he can play as a central or an attacking midfielder. His best attributes are passing, technique, and shooting.

Club career

Real Madrid

Granero joined ranks of Real Madrid when he was just eight years old, and quickly began displaying his footballing talent. In one season, he scored 83 goals in the Under-10 division, and in 1999, captained the Under-12 B team that won the International Football-7 tournament held in the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona by defeating FC Barcelona 1–0 with his extra time goal. He was also named the best player of the competition.

Granero, alongside teammates Juan Mata and Alberto Bueno, won the Copa de Campeones Juvenil de Fútbol in 2006, an under-19 official youth tournament in Spain organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. He then joined the club's C squad, at the age of 17, standing out for his talent and passing skills, and going on to receive the Números 1 Don Balón award as the "Most Valuable Player" of the fourth division Group 7 in 2005–06, an accolade bestowed by Don Balón magazine, one of the founding members of European Sports Magazines. That same season, he made his first appearance with Real Madrid Castilla in a match against Albacete Balompié, during which he had a goal assist.

Granero in 2007

Getafe

Granero made the definitive jump to Castilla in 2006–07's second division, and slowly earned the confidence of coach Míchel until finally becoming an unquestionable starter. He would eventually fail to make the transition into the first team, as fellow cantera players Rubén de la Red, Javi García and Adrián González and, on 31 August, the last day of the transfer window, he moved to Getafe CF (also in Madrid) on a one-year loan; de la Red also joined Getafe, albeit in a different deal.

After the season's end, in which both he and de la Red were instrumental in the team's campaign, which included a quarterfinals run in the UEFA Cup, Granero returned to Real Madrid. However, on 13 July 2008, he joined Getafe permanently, with Real keeping a re-buy option on the player.

Return to Real

On 21 July 2009, Real Madrid exercised their buyback option, in a reported €4 million deal, and Granero scored three goals during the pre-season. His first official one came in his first start, the opener in a 3–0 La Liga away success against RCD Espanyol, on 12 September 2009. In his first season, where the Merengues eventually came out empty in silverware, he alternated the bench with starts, with irregular performances.

In the 2010–11 season, after Real Madrid purchased two players in similar positions, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil, Granero was limited mainly to substitute appearances. On 16 January 2011, he came from the bench to score against UD Almería, in a 1–1 away draw against the bottom-placed team.

Granero's situation became worse in the 2011–12 season, with even Fábio Coentrão - another compatriot of manager José Mourinho who was signed in the off-season, originally as a left wingback - being preferred over him as central midfielder.

International career

After having helped Spain to the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, Granero made his debut for the under-21s on 6 February 2007 in a friendly match against England (2–2).

He appeared for the nation at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, in an eventual group stage exit.

Statistics

Club

As of 26 February 2012''

Club	Season	League			Cup			Europe			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Getafe	2007–08	27	3	2	6	2	1	9	3	1	42	8	4
	2008–09	35	5	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	37	5	4
	Total	62	8	6	8	2	1	9	3	1	79	13	8
Real Madrid	2009–10	31	3	5	1	0	0	4	0	0	36	3	5
	2010–11	19	1	2	9	1	0	4	0	0	32	2	2
	2011–12	9	0	0	4	0	0	2	0	0	15	0	0
	Total	59	4	7	14	1	0	10	0	0	83	5	7
Career total		121	12	13	22	3	1	19	3	1	162	18	15

Honours

Club

Real Madrid

• Copa del Rey: 2010–11

Getafe

• Copa del Rey: Runner-up 2007–08

Country

• UEFA U-19 Championship: 2006

External links

• Real Madrid official profile
• BDFutbol profile
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• Esteban Granero – FIFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile