Fernando Llorente facts for kids
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Llorente playing for Athletic Bilbao in 2010
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Fernando Javier Llorente Torres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 26 February 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Pamplona, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Funes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | River Ebro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | Athletic Bilbao | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Basconia | 33 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Bilbao Athletic | 16 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2013 | Athletic Bilbao | 262 | (85) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Juventus | 66 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Sevilla | 23 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Swansea City | 33 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Tottenham Hotspur | 36 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Napoli | 20 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Udinese | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Eibar | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 522 | (151) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Spain U17 | 3 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Spain U20 | 4 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Spain U21 | 9 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | Spain | 24 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Basque Country | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Fernando Javier Llorente Torres (born 26 February 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He was known as El Rey León ("The Lion King" in Spanish). He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals.
Llorente started his football journey at Athletic Bilbao. He moved up through their youth teams and became a key player for the club. In the 2011–12 season, he scored 29 goals. He then joined Juventus in 2013, where he won the Serie A title twice. After that, he played for Sevilla in Spain, then Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur in England. With Tottenham, he reached the Champions League final in 2019. He later played for Napoli, Udinese, and Eibar before retiring at age 38.
Fernando Llorente also played for the Spanish national team from 2008 to 2013. He was part of the teams that won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Contents
Early Years in Football
Fernando Llorente was born in Pamplona, Spain. He grew up in a town called Rincón de Soto. When he was 11 years old, in 1996, he joined Athletic Bilbao's youth academy. He was able to join because his family had roots in the Navarre region, which is part of Athletic Bilbao's special player policy.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Athletic Bilbao
Llorente spent several years playing in the younger teams at Athletic Bilbao. In 2003, he moved to Basconia, which is a team connected to Athletic Bilbao. He kept getting better and was promoted to Bilbao Athletic, which is Athletic's reserve team.
In January 2005, Llorente made his first appearance for Athletic Bilbao's main team in La Liga, Spain's top football league. A few days later, he scored three goals in a Copa del Rey match, helping his team win 6–0. He played in many games that season, scoring three league goals.
For the 2005–06 season, he changed his jersey number to 9. He scored in the first game, a 3–0 win against Real Sociedad. However, he faced some injuries that season and only scored four goals in total.
In 2006, Llorente signed a new contract. In the 2007–08 season, he became Athletic's main striker. He scored 11 league goals that year, helping his team finish in the middle of the league table. He scored important goals against big teams like Valencia, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid.
In the 2008–09 season, he scored a career-best 14 league goals. He also scored four goals in the Spanish Cup, helping his team reach the final. In the 2009–10 season, he scored 14 league goals again and eight goals in the Europa League.
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In the 2010–11 season, Llorente scored 18 league goals. In 2012, he had a great run, scoring five goals in two away matches in just four days. He also scored in both games against Manchester United in the Europa League, helping Athletic win and reach the final. His seven goals in that tournament made him Athletic Bilbao's top scorer in European competitions at the time.
In 2013, Llorente decided to leave Athletic Bilbao. He joined Juventus in Italy on a free transfer after his contract ended. In his last year at Athletic, he mainly played as a substitute.
Time at Juventus
Fernando Llorente officially joined Juventus on 1 July 2013. He scored his first goal for the club on 22 September in a 2–1 win against Hellas Verona. He also scored in his first two UEFA Champions League games against Real Madrid.
In 2014, Llorente scored two goals as Juventus beat Cagliari 4–1. He scored two more goals against Livorno, helping Juventus secure a top-two finish and a spot in the Champions League. On the last day of the season, he scored again as Juventus won the league title with a record 102 points.
In 2015, Llorente played a few minutes in the Champions League final, which Juventus lost 3–1 to Barcelona.
Moving to Sevilla
On 27 August 2015, Llorente signed a three-year contract with Sevilla. He scored his first goal for Sevilla in a 2–1 loss to Celta. In November 2015, he scored a winning header against Real Madrid in a 3–2 victory. A month later, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against his old club Juventus in the Champions League group stage. This win helped Sevilla qualify for the Europa League. Sevilla went on to win the Europa League for the third time in a row that season.
Playing for Swansea City
On 4 August 2016, Llorente joined Swansea City in the Premier League. He made his debut nine days later in a 1–0 win against Burnley.
On 26 November 2016, Llorente scored two goals in injury time to help Swansea beat Crystal Palace 5–4 in an exciting match. He scored two more goals in another game against Sunderland. He finished his first season with 15 goals, helping Swansea avoid being relegated from the Premier League.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
On 31 August 2017, Llorente joined Tottenham Hotspur. He made his debut in a Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund. He scored his first goal for Tottenham on 6 December 2017 in a 3–0 Champions League win against APOEL. In January, he scored in a league game against his former club Swansea.
Llorente scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 6–1 win against Rochdale in the FA Cup in February 2018. In January 2019, he scored another hat-trick in a 7–0 win against Tranmere Rovers, which was Tottenham's biggest ever away win.
On 13 February 2019, Llorente scored a goal in a 3–0 Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund. On 17 April, he scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals, helping Tottenham reach the semi-finals. In the semi-final against Ajax, he came on as a substitute and helped his team make a great comeback to reach the final. Tottenham lost the final 2–0 to Liverpool. Llorente left Tottenham when his contract ended in June 2019.
Later Career: Napoli, Udinese, and Eibar
On 2 September 2019, Llorente joined Napoli in Italy. He made his league debut on 14 September, helping his team win 2–0 against Sampdoria. Three days later, he scored his first goal for Napoli in a 2–0 Champions League win against Liverpool. He was often used as a "super-sub," coming off the bench to help the team with his strong physical presence.
On 27 January 2021, Llorente signed with Udinese. He played there for a few months before leaving in August.
On 27 October 2021, Llorente, at 36 years old, joined Eibar in Spain. He played for one season before leaving.
Fernando Llorente officially announced his retirement from professional football on 16 February 2023.
International Career for Spain
Llorente played for Spain's under-20 team in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored five goals in that tournament, earning him the silver boot award as the second-highest scorer. He also played for Spain's under-17 and under-21 teams.
On 14 November 2008, Llorente was called up to the senior national team for a friendly match against Chile. He came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. He scored his first goal for Spain on 11 February 2009 in a 2–0 friendly win against England. After scoring many goals for Athletic in 2008–09, he was chosen for Spain's squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played as a substitute and scored in a 2–0 win against South Africa.
Llorente was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He played in one match for Spain, which went on to win the World Cup.
On 8 October 2010, Llorente started in a Euro 2012 qualifying game against Lithuania. He scored two goals with headers in a 3–1 win. Four days later, he scored the winning goal against Scotland in a 3–2 victory. He was part of the Spain squad that won the Euro 2012 tournament, though he did not play in the final stages.
Llorente also played five times for the unofficial Basque Country team.
How He Played
Fernando Llorente was a tall, strong, and powerful player. His best skills were his ability to head the ball and his strength in the air. This made him a great "target-man" in attack, meaning he could receive long passes and hold the ball up for his teammates. He was also good at moving into scoring positions and finishing chances inside the penalty area. Besides his physical strength, he had good technical skills and could link up with other players, helping to create space and scoring chances for his team.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2003–04 | Tercera División | 33 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 12 | ||||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2004–05 | Segunda División B | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 4 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2004–05 | La Liga | 15 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 25 | 4 | |||||
| 2006–07 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | |||||
| 2007–08 | 35 | 11 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 40 | 12 | |||||
| 2008–09 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | 43 | 18 | |||||
| 2009–10 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 1 | — | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 23 | |||
| 2010–11 | 38 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 41 | 19 | |||||
| 2011–12 | 32 | 17 | 6 | 5 | — | 15 | 7 | — | 53 | 29 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | — | 36 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 262 | 85 | 35 | 17 | — | 35 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 333 | 118 | |||
| Juventus | 2013–14 | Serie A | 34 | 16 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 2 | — | 45 | 18 | ||
| 2014–15 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 9 | |||
| 2015–16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 66 | 23 | 5 | 1 | — | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 27 | |||
| Sevilla | 2015–16 | La Liga | 23 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | 7 | 3 | — | 36 | 7 | ||
| Swansea City | 2016–17 | Premier League | 33 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 15 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2017–18 | Premier League | 16 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 31 | 5 | |
| 2018–19 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 2 | — | 35 | 8 | |||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 3 | — | 66 | 13 | |||
| Napoli | 2019–20 | Serie A | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 24 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |||
| Udinese | 2020–21 | Serie A | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Eibar | 2021–22 | Segunda División | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 522 | 151 | 59 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 83 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 676 | 203 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2008 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 7 | |
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Llorente goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 February 2009 | Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain |  England |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 20 June 2009 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa |  South Africa |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 3 | 28 May 2010 | Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, Austria |  Saudi Arabia |
3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 7 September 2010 | Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Argentina |
1–3 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 5 | 8 October 2010 | Estadio El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain |  Lithuania |
1–0 | 3–1 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 6 | 8 October 2010 | Estadio El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain | Lithuania |
2–1 | 3–1 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 7 | 12 October 2010 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland |  Scotland |
3–2 | 3–2 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
Honours and Trophies
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2008–09, 2011–12
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2011–12
Juventus
- Serie A: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Coppa Italia: 2014–15
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2013, 2015
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2014–15
Sevilla
- UEFA Europa League: 2015–16
Tottenham Hotspur
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2019–20
Spain National Team
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2009
Individual Awards
Decorations
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Llorente para niños
