Ezequiel Garay facts for kids
.jpg)
Garay playing for Zenit in 2015
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ezequiel Marcelo Garay González | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 October 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Newell's Old Boys | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Newell's Old Boys | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Racing Santander | 60 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Real Madrid | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | → Racing Santander (loan) | 24 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Benfica | 78 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 50 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2020 | Valencia | 92 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 342 | (34) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Argentina U17 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina U23 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2015 | Argentina | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ezequiel Marcelo Garay González is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He was born on October 10, 1986. Garay played as a central defender, which means he helped protect his team's goal.
He started his football journey in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys. At 19, he moved to Spain, where he played for teams like Racing de Santander, Real Madrid, and Valencia. Later, he joined Benfica in Portugal and Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia.
Garay also proudly represented his home country, Argentina, in big tournaments. These included the 2014 World Cup and two Copa América competitions.
Contents
Ezequiel Garay: A Football Star's Journey
Early Years and First Steps
Ezequiel Garay was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. When he was just 18 years old, he began his professional career with his hometown club, Newell's Old Boys. His very first game was against Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. His team even won the Apertura championship in the 2004–05 season.
Garay played 12 more league games for Newell's. He scored his first and only goal for the club in a special local game called the Rosario derby against Rosario Central. His team won that game 2–1.
Playing in Spain: Racing Santander and Real Madrid
In December 2005, Garay moved to Spain to play for La Liga club Racing de Santander. He played seven full matches, helping his team avoid being moved down to a lower league. His first full season, 2006–07, was amazing. He scored nine goals in 31 league games, which was a lot for a defender!
On March 19, 2008, Garay got a serious leg injury during a Copa del Rey game. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of that season. Even so, he scored three goals in 22 matches. His team finished in their best-ever position, sixth, which helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time.
On May 18, 2008, Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world, bought Garay. However, he stayed at Racing Santander for another season on loan. He officially joined Real Madrid in July 2009. His first league game for Real Madrid was on August 29, in a 3–2 win against Deportivo de La Coruña.
On December 12, he scored his first goal for Real Madrid. He headed in a free kick from Xabi Alonso to help his team win 3–2 against Valencia CF. In the 2010–11 season, he didn't play as much. But he was part of the team that won the Spanish Cup against FC Barcelona.
Success in Portugal with Benfica
On July 5, 2011, Garay moved to S.L. Benfica in Portugal. He signed a four-year contract. While playing in Lisbon, Garay played alongside many of his fellow Argentinians. He often teamed up with Luisão in the center of the defense.
On April 24, 2014, he scored his eighth goal of the season. This goal helped his team win 2–1 against Juventus FC in a European game. During his time at Benfica, he won four major titles, including a "domestic treble" in the 2013–14 season. A treble means winning three major trophies in one season!
Russian Adventure with Zenit
On June 25, 2014, Garay joined the Russian club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. In his first season with Zenit, he played in 42 games. He helped his team win their fourth Russian Premier League championship.
Back to Spain: Valencia and Retirement
On August 31, 2016, Garay returned to Spain to play for Valencia. In his first season, he scored four goals. He was also in the starting team for the 2019 Copa del Rey final, where Valencia beat Barcelona 2–1.
In February 2020, Garay got a serious knee injury. He decided to leave the club so they could sign another player in his position. After being without a club for over a year, Ezequiel Garay announced he was retiring from football on July 16, 2021. He shared that he had been dealing with a long-term injury since 2018.
Playing for Argentina
In 2005, Garay helped the Argentine under-20 team win the FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. Famous players like Sergio Agüero, Fernando Gago, and Lionel Messi were also on that team!
Garay played his first game for the senior national team in a friendly match against Norway on August 22, 2007. He was chosen for the 2011 Copa América and the 2014 FIFA World Cup squads. In the 2014 World Cup, he played in all the games. On July 9, he successfully took a penalty shootout kick against the Netherlands. This helped send his country to the World Cup final for the first time in 24 years!
Garay was also part of the team for the 2015 Copa América.
Personal Life
On March 15, 2020, Garay became the first La Liga player to test positive for COVID-19.
Awards and Achievements
Newell's Old Boys
- Argentine Primera División: 2004 Apertura
Real Madrid
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2013–14
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
- Taça da Liga: 2011–12, 2013–14
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012–13, 2013–14
Zenit Saint Petersburg
- Russian Premier League: 2014–15
- Russian Cup: 2015–16
- Russian Super Cup: 2016
Valencia
- Copa del Rey: 2018–19
Argentina U17
- FIFA U-17 World Cup third place: 2003
Argentina U20
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Argentina U23
- Summer Olympic Games: 2008
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2015
Individual
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2013–14
See also
In Spanish: Ezequiel Garay para niños
