Iván Cuéllar facts for kids
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Cuéllar with Leganés in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 May 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Mérida, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Mallorca | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Real Madrid | |||
| 2001–2002 | Mérida | ||
| 2002–2003 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002 | Mérida | 1 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Atlético Madrid B | 17 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Atlético Madrid | 8 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Eibar (loan) | 38 | (0) |
| 2008–2017 | Sporting Gijón | 199 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | Leganés | 123 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Sporting Gijón | 35 | (0) |
| 2023– | Mallorca | 1 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2006 | Spain U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | Spain U23 | 3 | (0) |
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Iván Cuéllar Sacristán, born on May 27, 1984, is a Spanish professional football player. People often call him "Pichu." He plays as a goalkeeper for the La Liga club Mallorca.
Iván started his football journey at Atlético Madrid. He spent a big part of his career playing for Sporting de Gijón. There, he played in 247 games.
Contents
Playing Career
Early Years and Atlético Madrid
Iván Cuéllar was born in Mérida, Spain. His cousin gave him the nickname "Pichu," which means "young boy" in a local Spanish dialect. He first played for Real Madrid as a young player. Later, he joined his hometown club, Mérida UD. At just 17 years old, he played his first senior game for Mérida.
After finishing his youth training at Atlético Madrid, he played his first game for their main team. This was in the last match of the 2004–05 season. The game ended in a 2–2 draw against Getafe CF. In the 2006–07 season, he played seven more games. This happened because the main goalkeeper, Leo Franco, was unable to play.
Time at Sporting Gijón
After playing one season on loan at SD Eibar, Cuéllar left Atlético Madrid. In August 2008, he joined Sporting de Gijón. He signed a four-year contract with them. He became the main goalkeeper for Sporting Gijón. However, he got a serious ankle injury in December 2008. This kept him from playing for four months.
In November 2009, he got another serious injury. He hurt his knee during training. This meant he missed most of the season. He returned to play on September 22, 2010.
In January 2013, Cuéllar became the main goalkeeper for Sporting Gijón again. He won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy in the 2014–15 season. This award is for the best goalkeeper. He let in only 21 goals in 36 games that season. This helped his team, Sporting Gijón, return to La Liga. After this great season, he signed a new contract until 2018.
Moving to Leganés
In July 2017, Cuéllar left Sporting Gijón after nine years. He was 33 years old and joined CD Leganés, another top-tier team. He became their number one goalkeeper. He set a new record for the club by keeping a "clean sheet" for over 500 minutes. A clean sheet means not letting the other team score any goals. This record was broken by Sevilla FC in October.
Returning to Sporting Gijón
On August 29, 2021, Cuéllar went back to Sporting de Gijón. He signed a two-year contract. He was the second-choice goalkeeper at first. He started playing more often from March 20, 2022. He played ten games in a row. During this time, he kept two clean sheets and never let in more than one goal per game. His team managed to avoid being moved to a lower league that season.
Joining Mallorca
On August 28, 2023, Cuéllar signed a one-year deal with RCD Mallorca. This top-tier club wanted him to compete with their other goalkeepers.
Awards and Achievements
Spain U23
- Mediterranean Games: 2005
Individual
- Segunda División: Ricardo Zamora Trophy/Best Goalkeeper 2014–15
See also
In Spanish: Iván Cuéllar para niños
