Javi Moreno

Javi Moreno

Personal information
Full name	Javier Moreno Valera
Date of birth	10 September 1974 (1974-09-10)
Place of birth	Silla, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1994–1995	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995–1996	Barcelona B	10	(5)
1996–1997	Córdoba	15	(0)
1997	Yeclano	16	(6)
1998	Alavés	11	(1)
1998–1999	Numancia	39	(18)
1999–2001	Alavés	71	(29)
2001–2002	Milan	16	(2)
2002–2004	Atlético Madrid	29	(5)
2004	→ Bolton Wanderers (loan)	8	(0)
2004–2005	Zaragoza	18	(4)
2005–2008	Córdoba	94	(48)
2008	Ibiza	14	(2)
2009–2010	Lucena	8	(1)
National team
1992–1993	Spain U18	16	(10)
2001	Spain	5	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

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

Javier 'Javi' Moreno Valera (born 10 September 1974) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.

Best known for his Alavés stint, he also had short spells in Italy and England, with little impact, amassing La Liga totals of 118 games and 38 goals.

Club career

Early years / Alavés

Born in Silla, Valencia, Moreno made his professional debuts with FC Barcelona's B team. After stints with lowly Córdoba CF and Yeclano Club de Fútbol, he first joined Deportivo Alavés in January 1998, with the Basque side operating in Segunda División.

After being instrumental in CD Numancia first ever La Liga promotion in 1998–99, Moreno returned to Alavés, shooting to prominence during his second spell, after playing a pivotal role in their run to the 2001 UEFA Cup final. Along the way, defeated were the likes of Gaziantepspor, Lillestrøm SK, Rosenborg BK, F.C. Internazionale Milano, fellow league club Rayo Vallecano and 1. FC Kaiserslautern, before an eventual 4–5 extra time loss to Liverpool, with Moreno bagging two goals in three minutes (he also finished the league season with 22 strikes, good enough for third).

Abroad

His performances and goals during 2000–01 convinced Serie A's A.C. Milan to buy Moreno, amid attention from Europe's other elite clubs. However, he struggled immensely in his sole season, returning to Spain to join Atlético Madrid, freshly promoted to the top flight.

With goals hard to come by, a January 2004 loan move to Bolton Wanderers ensued but, after eight goalless appearances for "The Trotters", including one in the season's Football League Cup final against Middlesbrough, Moreno found himself on the move again, this time to Real Zaragoza, where he appeared sparingly.

Return to Spain

Moreno refound his goalscoring form for old acquaintance Córdoba in July 2005, helping the club to promotion to the second division in 2007, while finishing the Segunda División B top scorer with 24 goals in 32 appearances. After three years, he was released by the club, subsequently joining lowly SE Eivissa-Ibiza, in the third level. As he did not play the amount of minutes he was expecting upon signing, he announced his retirement in December 2008.

Roughly one year after, Moreno returned to active aged 35, joining another club in division three, Lucena CF, and retiring for good at the season's end.

International career

Moreno played five games for Spain in 2001 (his debut coming on 28 February against England), scoring once.

External links

• Stats at Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• National team data (Spanish)