Albert Riera

Albert Riera

Personal information
Full name	Albert Riera Ortega
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Liverpool
Number	11
Youth career
1999–2000	Mallorca
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2003	Mallorca
2003–2005	Bordeaux
2005–2008	Espanyol
2006	→ Manchester City (loan)
2008–	Liverpool
International career‡
2002–2003	Spain U21
2007–	Spain
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:00, 9 June 2009 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:00, 28 June 2009 (UTC)

Template:Spanish name 2 Alberto Riera Ortega (born 15 April 1982 in Manacor, Balearic Islands) is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Premier League side Liverpool, as a left winger.

Club career

Mallorca

Riera started his professional career with hometown Mallorca, but could only amass 11 first division appearances in his first two seasons combined. In 2002-03, already an undisputed starter, he helped the Balearic Islands outfit to the Spanish Cup, and scored four goals in the league, from 35 contests.

Bordeaux

In the summer of 2003, Riera moved to Bordeaux, where he was a first team regular for two seasons. He made more than fifty league appearances for the French club, and scored four goals.

Espanyol

Riera returned to Spain in 2005, when he signed for Espanyol. In his first season, he played only eight league matches, prompting a January 2006 move to Manchester City, where he was also unable to establish himself in the first team, returning to Catalonia prior to 2006–07.

During that season, which included an almost 100% successful run in the UEFA Cup (Espanyol lost on penalties to Sevilla in the final, with Riera scoring in regulation time), Riera displayed a vast array of skills, netting eight goals in 41 matches between the two competitions combined. At the season's closure, he renewed his link to the club until 2011.

Liverpool

On 1 September 2008 (transfer deadline day), Riera signed a four-year deal with Liverpool, for a fee of £8 million, being given the number 11 jersey.He made his league debut on the 13th, playing 72 minutes of a 2–1 home win against Manchester United, and scored his first goal for Liverpool as they beat Wigan Athletic 3–2 on 18 October, adding another in the UEFA Champions League at PSV, on December 9 (3-1 win). He also scored Liverpool's first goal in 2009 and his first FA Cup one, on 3 January, against Preston North End.

Later during that season, he scored against Aston Villa in a 5-0 home win, on March 22, 2009. He found the net after goalkeeper's Pepe Reina goal kick.

International career

Riera made his debut for the Spanish national team on October 13, 2007, in an Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark, and scored from outside the box in a 3–1 away win. However, he failed to make the final cut for the final stages, where the nation emerged victorious.

Riera was again called for the squad for the October qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after Sevilla's Diego Capel withdrew with an injury. In the following year, on April 1, he scored a last minute winner in Turkey (2-1).

Manager Vicente Del Bosque named Riera in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He and left-back Joan Capdevila played a vital role, especially in Spain's opening game against New Zealand, a 5-0 routing, linking up to set up all five goals.

Career statistics

All-time club performance

Club	Season	La Liga		Copa del Rey		Supercopa de España		Europe		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Real Mallorca	2000–01	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	1
	2001–02	8	1	2	1	-	-	3	0	13	2
	2002–03	35	4	5	0	-	-	-	-	40	4
	Club Total	46	6	7	1	0	0	3	0	56	7
Club	Season	Ligue 1		Coupe de France		Coupe de la Ligue		Europe		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Bordeaux	2003–04	32	2	2	0	-	-	10	5	44	7
	2004–05	21	2	2	0	-	-	-	-	23	2
	Club Total	53	4	4	0	0	0	10	5	67	9
Club	Season	La Liga		Copa del Rey		Supercopa de España		Europe		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Espanyol	2005–06	8	0	-	-	-	-	3	0	11	0
		Premier League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
Manchester City (loan)	2005–06	15	1	4	0	-	-	-	-	19	1
	Club Total	15	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	19	1
		La Liga		Copa del Rey		Supercopa de España		Europe		Total
Espanyol	2006–07	28	4	1	0	2	0	13	4	44	8
	2007–08	36	4	3	0	-	-	-	-	39	4
	Club Total	72	8	4	0	2	0	16	4	94	12
		Premier League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
Liverpool	2008–09	28	3	3	1	-	-	9	1	40	5
	Club Total	28	3	3	1	0	0	9	1	40	5
Career totals		214	22	22	2	2	0	38	10	276	34

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	2007-10-13	NRGi Park, Aarhus, Denmark	Denmark	1–3	1–3	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2	2009-04-01	Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Turkey	1–2	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	2009-06-09	Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	0–4	0–6	Friendly match References External links Official Liverpool profile Liverpool historic profile BDFutbol profile Albert Riera at Soccerbase National team data Template:Es icon FIFA.com stats {{subst:#if:Riera, Albert|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1982}}	UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}	LIVING=(living people)}}	#default = 1982 births }}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}	LIVING =	MISSING =	UNKNOWN =	#default = }}