Rubén Suárez

Rubén Suárez

Suárez in action for Levante
Personal information
Full name	Rubén Suárez Estrada
Date of birth	19 February 1979 (1979-02-19)
Place of birth	Gijón, Spain
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Levante
Number	21
Youth career
	Sporting Gijón
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1997–2002	Sporting B	47	(16)
1998–2004	Sporting Gijón	104	(11)
2004–2008	Elche	93	(13)
2008–	Levante	116	(37)
National team
1997–1998	Spain U18	5	(0)
1998–1999	Spain U20	12	(1)
1999	Spain U21	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals).

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

Rubén Suárez Estrada (Spanish pronunciation: [ruˈβen ˈswaɾeθ]; born 19 February 1979) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Levante UD. Mainly an attacking midfielder, he can also operate as a second striker.

Club career

Born in Gijón, Asturias, and a product of local Sporting de Gijón's famed youth academy, Mareo, Suárez played six seasons with the first-team in Segunda División. Afterwards, he stayed in the level, with four additional years at Elche CF.

In July 2008, Suárez joined Levante UD, also in that category. In his first year, he finished as the club's top scorer at 12, mainly due to the serious fibula injury to Alexandre Geijo.

In the 2009–10 season, Suárez repeated the feat (again scoring in double digits), as the Valencian Community side returned to La Liga after a two-year absence. On 28 August 2010, at the ripe age of 31 years, six months and nine days, he made his debut in the top division, opening the score at home against Sevilla FC, through a penalty kick, in an eventual 1–4 defeat.

International career

Suárez played in all the matches for Spain at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Nigeria, scoring in a 3–1 group stage win against Honduras (the only game where he did not appear from the bench), as the national team won the tournament.

Later in that year, he gained one cap for the under-21s.

Honours

Spain U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1999

Personal

Suárez's father, Secundino Suárez Vázquez, aka Cundi, was also a footballer. A defender, he played 15 professional seasons - 14 in the top level - for Sporting Gijón.

External links

• Levante official profile (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• Transfermarkt profile