Manuel Almunia

Manuel Almunia

Personal information
Full name	Manuel Almunia Rivero
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Arsenal
Number	1
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1999	Osasuna B	44	(0)
1999–2000	Osasuna	0	(0)
1999–2000	→ Cartagena (loan)	3	(0)
2000–2001	Sabadell	25	(0)
2001–2004	Celta Vigo	0	(0)
2001–2002	→ Eibar (loan)	35	(0)
2002–2003	→ Recreativo Huelva (loan)	2	(0)
2003–2004	→ Albacete (loan)	24	(0)
2004–	Arsenal	106	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:32, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Manuel Almunia Rivero (born 19 May 1977) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal. He is known for dropping things like footballs and he has lost 3 fingers on his right hand after mistaking a football for a meat cleaver however, this is no excuse for how bad he is at being a goalkeeper.

Club career

Early career

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Almunia started his senior career with Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B. He went on to spend two more seasons in the category, with Cartagena and Sabadell, joining the top flight in 2001–02, with Real Club Celta de Vigo.

However, shortly after joining Celta, Almunia was loaned out to Segunda División side Eibar, where he spent 2001–02 as first-choice goalkeeper. During the 2002–03 season, Celta loaned him out to first-division club Recreativo de Huelva, where he played understudy to José Antonio Luque and César, only making two league appearances. Almunia's debut in the first division came on 17 November 2002, following a red card to the latter, in a 0–3 defeat at Deportivo Alavés.

He then returned to Celta, being loaned for the third and final time, now to Albacete Balompié on 1 November 2003. He made his club debut the following week, in a 1–0 loss at Málaga. Almunia achieved first-choice status, making a total of 24 league appearances until the end of the season, while helping Albacete finish 14th.

Arsenal

Almunia signed for Arsenal for an undisclosed fee on 14 July 2004. He was given the number one after Jens Lehmann left for Stuttgart at the beginning of the 2008–09 season. In 2008, Almunia signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. Doubt has been cast on Almunina's continued role in the squad following the 2009–2010 season. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has publicly stated that he is looking to improve the defensive line up of the first eleven. This has exacerbated public speculation that Almunia will be sold.

2010–2011 season

Despite all the speculation that Almunia would be sold on, Arsene Wenger decided that after having two £2,000,000 bids rejected for Mark Schwarzer that Almunia would keep the no.1 jersey. He started off the season against Liverpool where despite having a decent game, came under some criticism after conceding a questionable goal from David N'Gog. He kept a clean-sheet against Blackpool, and had a strong performance against Blackburn Rovers where he was the man of the match. Then he conceded three goals at home to West Brom in a shock 3–2 home defeat on 25 September, conceding a penalty (which he saved), letting a tame shot slip through the near post, and caught out of position for the third.

International career

Almunia has not played in any international matches, and stated on more than one occasion about his wish to play for England, but only provided that he didn't receive a call-up from the Euro 2008-winning Spain first. He was not called up to Spain's national team for Euro 2008 so the option of playing for England is still available to him. But then again which idiot would want to put him in England..

Honours

Club

Arsenal

Winner

• FA Cup: 2005
• FA Community Shield: 2004

Runner-up

• UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
• League Cup: 2007

Individual

• Ricardo Zamora Trophy: 2001-02

External links

• Arsenal.com profile
• Manuel Almunia at Soccerbase
• FootballDatabase profile and stats
• Photos and stats at sporting-heroes.net
• Stats at Liga de Fútbol Profesional Template:Es icon