Mikel Villanueva
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mikel Villanueva Álvarez | ||
| Date of birth | 14 April 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | San Cristóbal, Venezuela | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Málaga | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Deportivo Táchira | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Deportivo Táchira | 5 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Deportivo Lara | 20 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | → Málaga B (loan) | 31 | (3) |
| 2016– | Málaga | 7 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2016– | Venezuela | 11 | (1) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 December 2016. | |||
Mikel Villanueva Álvarez (born 14 April 1993) is a Venezuelan footballer who plays for Spanish club Málaga CF as a central defender.
Club career
Born in San Cristóbal, Táchira, Villanueva was a Deportivo Táchira youth graduate. On 3 March 2013 he made his professional debut, starting in a 0–1 away loss against Estudiantes de Mérida.
After being rarely used, Villanueva moved to fellow Primera División team Deportivo Lara in 2014. He scored his first professional goal on 25 January 2015, netting the game's only in an away win against Carabobo FC.
On 22 February 2015, Villanueva scored a brace in a 3–1 home win against Trujillanos FC. He finished the campaign with 20 appearances and four goals.
On 4 July 2015 Villanueva joined Málaga CF, being assigned to the reserves in Tercera División.[1] On 3 May 2016, he was bought outright by the club, signing a permanent three-year deal and being promoted to the main squad in La Liga.[2]
Villanueva made his debut in the main category of Spanish football on 16 October 2016, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Deportivo Alavés.[3]
International career
On 20 January 2016, Villanueva was called up to the Venezuela national team for a friendly against Costa Rica.[4] He made his full international debut on 2 February, starting in the 1–0 win in Barinas.[5]
Villanueva scored his first international goal on 24 March 2016, netting the second in a 2–2 away draw against Peru following an assist from Málaga teammate Juanpi.[6] He was named in the Vinotinto's squad for the year's Copa América Centenario in the United States, but did not play.[7]
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 24 March 2016 | Estadio Nacional de Lima, Lima, Peru |  Peru | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2018 World Cup qualification |
References
- ↑ "El Málaga ficha al venezolano Mikel Villanueva para el filial" [Málaga signs Venezuelan Mikel Villanueva to the reserves] (in Spanish). La Opinión de Málaga. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ↑ "Málaga CF executes option to buy clause on Mikel Villanueva". Málaga CF. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ↑ "Empate a todo en Mendizorroza" [Full draw at the Mendizorroza] (in Spanish). Marca. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Mikel Villanueva called-up to Venezuela's first team". Málaga CF. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ↑ "Venezuela superó 1–0 a Costa Rica en amistoso disputado en Barinas" [Venezuela overcame Costa Rica by 1–0 in a friendly played in Barinas] (in Spanish). Venezolana de Televisión. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ↑ "Report: Peru 2 Venezuela 2". BeIN Sports. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Copa América Centenario: Venezuela confirma su lista definitiva de 23 jugadores" [Copa América Centenario: Venezuela confirm their final list of 23 players] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
External links
- Mikel Villanueva profile at BDFutbol
- Mikel Villanueva at National-Football-Teams.com
- Mikel Villanueva profile at Soccerway
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