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,[1] 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.[2] In his first season, he played only eight league matches, prompting a January 2006 move to Manchester City,[3] 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.[4]
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.[5][6]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).[7]
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
Club | Season | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
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 |
![]() |
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 | |
![]() |
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 | |
![]() |
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 | ![]() |
1–3 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |||||||
2 | 2009-04-01 | Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |||||||
3 | 2009-06-09 | Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | ![]() |
0–4 | 0–6 | Friendly match
References
External links
{{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 =
}} |
- Living people
- Deaths
- People from Manacor
- Spanish footballers
- Football (soccer) wingers
- La Liga footballers
- RCD Mallorca footballers
- RCD Espanyol footballers
- Ligue 1 players
- FC Girondins de Bordeaux players
- Premier League players
- Manchester City F.C. players
- Liverpool F.C. players
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Spain international footballers
- Spanish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England